In the Stars
by PhantasmicDragon
Summary: Ash's return home to Mary-Lynette when she graduates highschool. How will the members of both families react when an illness threatens the life of one of their own? Please Review!  It helps with the inspiration  Rated T for a few kissing scenes and such.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Ash Redfern looked out over The Strip in Las Vegas from the window in his room. He was at Circle Daybreak's main headquarters in the mansion of Thierry Descoudres. It had been just over nine months since Ash had left his soulmate, Mary-Lynette Carter behind in her small town of Briar Creek. She had sent him away with the request that he try to make up for the way he had treated humans in the past. As a vampire, Ash had seen humans as vermin, only good for food. That was in the past though. Over the past nine months, Ash had taken a close look at humans and began to realize they weren't that bad. Only four months ago now, he had found Thierry and Circle Daybreak through his cousin James and his soulmate, Poppy. Through their constant badgering, Ash finally looked upon humans as his equals. Hah! Who was he kidding, humans were still below him, but he no longer saw them as food. Instead, he had been forced to hunt – gah – _animals_.

It wasn't too overly bad, Ash supposed; he found that the longer he abstained from human blood, the easier it got. Though he still wasn't thrilled with the idea, Ash was dealing. Before him, The Strip began to light up as the sky gradually grew darker. In the past, Ash would have just been getting ready to go out and enjoy a night out – friends, parties, girls; especially the girls. Ash shook his head to try and get the flashbacks out of his head. _I'm changed now. I'm not like that anymore, _he told himself firmly, trying to convince himself. He still wasn't totally sure though.

Just then, Ash heard a knock at the door. His turned around quickly and lazily walked towards it, thinking it was probably just one of his cousins or a friend or someone. When Ash opened the door, he was surprised to see Lord Thierry himself standing at the door with a letter in his hand. "Oh. Hi Thierry," Ash said.

"Ash, this letter just came to you from Briar Creek. I figured I'd deliver it to you myself – might be important" Thierry told him with a hint of a smirk on his face.

"Thanks…." Ash said, trying not to appear as anxious as he was.

Sensing his anxiousness anyways, Thierry bid Ash a good night and walked down the hallway. Ash half slammed the door and walked over to the small dresser to open the letter.

Ash was certain it was from his Mary-Lynette. It _had _to be. Maybe she wanted him to come back early and see her! Or, maybe something was wrong. No. It couldn't be that. He would not let him even imagine anything being wrong. That kind of possibility was too painful to imagine. Plus, she had his sisters – Rowan, Kestrel, and Jade – to protect her. Desperate to see what the contents of the letter held, Ash ripped it open and looked at the bottom of the page, just to ensure it was actually from his soulmate.

* * *

><p>As Ash looked at the bottom of the letter, he felt his heart plummet to the floor. Hell, it probably was smashed into itty bitty little pieces at the center of the earth. Or melted. Maybe that's what happened. Ash backed up until he felt the soft covers of his bed press up against his knees, and sat down dazedly. The letter wasn't from Mary-Lynette after all. It was from his eldest sister, Rowan. As Rowan was older than Ash himself, she seemed to hold a sort of natural authority over him, though he was technically the head of them when in Briar Creek. He supposed a letter from Rowan wasn't too bad… It was just… A letter from Mary-Lynette would have made him so much happier.<p>

After he was done sulking, Ash finally decided he might as well read the note.

_Ash,_

_As you surely remember, Mary-Lynette sent you away about nine and a half months ago. Well, in about half a month, she'll be graduating from high school and I figured that you'll probably want to be there since it's considered quite an important milestone to her. Assuming that you are going to say yes, I'll get the room you stayed in last time ready for you. I also won't tell Mary-Lynette you are coming – surprises are much more fun. Well, see you in a bit. Remember, you have to be here by the twentieth of June, or you'll miss the ceremony. _

_See you soon,_

_Rowan_

Ash lightened up considerably after finishing the letter from his sister. He liked the thought of going to see Mary-Lynette graduate. She had told him that she needed time to grow up a bit before he came back and that she wanted to graduate before she left Briar Creek. Of course, that may have just been because he wanted to take her away with him when she left and she wanted him to make up for his past. That made sense.

Quickly glancing at the calendar sitting on his dresser, Ash realized that it was already the fifteenth! He would have to leave right away if he wanted to reach Mary-Lynette on time! Damn Rowan! Why'd she send the letter so late? Unless the post office had temporarily lost it or something on its way. Anyhow, he had to make it in time. He just had to. He quickly threw some clothes and a few belongings and hygiene products in a bag, and scribbled a note to the Day Breakers to explain his absence. He left it on the main table where most of the house's current residents ate their breakfast. Ash jumped in his car, and headed for the highway to Oregon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Mary-Lynette was sitting in her chemistry class trying to pay attention to what was going on at the front of the classroom. Though she was an honors student and a favorite for valedictorian, she was finding herself more and more distracted as summer – and the end of her high school career – drew near. She quickly forced herself to pay attention to the teacher at the front of the room, who was explaining the test that they would have the following day and giving last-minute study tips. Mary-Lynette supposed that she could afford to daydream a bit – she had been studying for months – but it was probably wise to listen to what the teacher was saying anyways.

When the bell to end the day finally rang, Mary-Lynette was feeling sullen. In just a few short days and a few tests later, she would be finished her senior year of high school – her final year of high school. She packed up her bag and headed over to her car. After her old one had been destroyed – blown up with her best friend, and werewolf, Jeremy Lovett inside it – she had purchased a small little black car. It was second-hand, but it was a decent little car and got her where she wanted to go. Mary-Lynette decided that she might as well start emptying out her locker, so she took grabbed her binders, textbooks, and a few other items she wouldn't need for the tests ahead of her.

After she gathered the things from her locker, Mary-Lynette got into her car and drove to her house to do a bit of studying for her chemistry examination. When she got home, her father came outside with his wife, Claudine to meet her with worried looks on their faces. As Mary-Lynette got out of her car and began walking towards them, she suddenly felt extremely dizzy and had a sharp pain in her chest. Her father ran towards her and began supporting her as they slowly made their way towards the house. Inside, he set Mare-Lynette down on the couch.

"Dad, "she began. "Have you gotten the results back from the doctor yet?"

Her father looked worried and sympathetic as he replied, "Um…. Mare, I dunno how to tell you this, but the tests came back positive. I'm afraid you have a heart disease."

Mary-Lynette felt herself go numb at this news. "Is it… curable?"

"The doctor doesn't seem to think so sweetie… I'm so sorry."

* * *

><p>This news startled Mary-Lynette, but she did not shed a single tear. Instead, she simply excused herself.<p>

"Mare, where are you going?" Claudine asked her.

"Over to see the Redferns," she replied casually. "I figured maybe Rowan could help me with my studying"

Both Claudine and her father looked at Mary-Lynette and frowned.

"Are you _sure _you want to go over there right now?" her father asked, concern clearly shown on his face.

Mary-Lynette simply nodded and started heading towards the door. Claudine stopped her with a firm hand on her shoulder.

"I'll drive you there then. Grab what you need for studying and meet me out at my car."

In no position to protest – another slight dizzy spell was coming on – Mary-Lynette nodded numbly and went to grab her bag.

When she reached the house, she thanked Claudine for the ride and went to open the door, carefully avoiding the hole on the front porch. Mary-Lynette entered the familiar home, breathing in the scent which occupied it.

"Hello!" she called out. Rowan immediately came down the stairs to greet her blood-sister.

"What's wrong?" she asked immediately upon setting her sight upon Mary-Lynette's face. It was at that point that Mary-Lynette burst into tears. Rowan wrapped her into a tight embrace, waiting for her to stop crying before asking what's wrong. When she was finally able to deliver a choked explanation of what happened, Rowan looked shocked.

"How long have these symptoms been going on for?" she asked cautiously.

"A few months" was the quiet reply.

Rowan simply nodded as though she finally understood something. Mary-Lynette looked at her curiously.

"Well, I've noticed a sort of change in your, aura, per say. You've just felt a little, different, these past few months. I just wish I'd realized sooner."

Rowan seemed to be blaming herself for some reason, which Mary-Lynette refused to allow.

"It wouldn't have made a made a difference anyways," she said. "I've got a fatal disease. You couldn't have known."

At this point, Mary-Lynette's younger brother, Mark, walked in the door with his soulmate Jade. He stopped dead in his tracks and stared at his sister, wide-eyed. Rowan started to explain, but Mark stopped her.

"No. I want Mare to explain this to me," he demanded.

Mary-Lynette sighed, and once again began her explanation. Half way through, her other blood-sister Kestrel walked in, so she was forced to start from the beginning. When she was finally finished explaining about having a fatal heart disease, Mark walked over to the couch and sat beside her, tears flowing down his face, looking as though they may never stop.

The five of them sat there in silence for a few minutes, when Rowan, always cool-headed, finally spoke up.

"Mary-Lynette, why don't you and Mark go home, and you can study a bit tonight. You still have finals, you know. We'll think of a solution here, so you'd better not worry too much. Just focus on your tests. We can deal with all of this after."

She nodded, and the girls got up to see them out. Both Mary-Lynette and Mark were given hugs by their three concerned friends on their way out. Rowan was the last to give Mary-Lynette a hug. As she did, Mary-Lynette whispered something to her.

"Please don't tell _him_."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Mary-Lynette's POV

Five days later, it was the twentieth – Mary-Lynette's graduation day. She had passed all her tests with flying colors, despite the alarming news she had received before. In fact, she had simply put it from her mind until grad was over. As such, Mary-Lynette was at the hairdresser's having her hair done. The hairdresser had left her hair in its natural, dark curls, but did it up in a messy sort of bun, leaving a few wisps of hair falling down around her face. At home, Mary-Lynette got changed into her twilight blue dress with white sparkles, and put a small amount of make-up on – enough to be noticed and to emphasize her eyes, but not so much that it looked trampy.

Around three, Mary-Lynette headed down to the school to get ready for the ceremony. All the while, her nerves slowly built in the pit of her stomach as the clock hands moved ever forwards towards four-thirty, when the students would take their places at the far end of the field. Eventually, the time came for the graduates to walk up to the stage and take their seats. Mary-Lynette looked out at the crowd, her eyes searching for her family and for the Redferns, who promised they would come watch. After they were found, Mary-Lynette allowed her eyes to wander over the rest of the crowd while the principal stood up to begin his opening speech.

As her eyes skimmed over the back row of chairs, someone just behind them caught her eye. He was tall, blonde, and his lazy posture reminded her of a cat. Mary-Lynette's heart skipped a beat when their eyes met. It was Ash! He had come!

* * *

><p>Ash's POV<p>

Standing behind the many roles of chairs, Ash stood watching his soulmate sitting up on the stage looking stunningly beautiful. As she looked over towards him from her seat in the front row, Ash felt the tug of that little silver cord that connected the two of them. He caught her eye and gave a slight smile, before she turned her attention back to the principal, who was calling the valedictorian forward for their speech. He had made it to the ceremony just in time to watch. If he had been fifteen minutes later, he might not have made it in time. He had driven all day, stopping only for food and short rests so he could be here for her.

Ash watched as Mary-Lynette stood up in her twilight dress with the sparkles that glittered like stars in the sunlight. She walked over the podium, looking graceful and scholarly as she began making her speech to the class and those watching about high school and it being such an amazing time, and that no matter who you were, everyone had their place in this world, and though many were not interested in astronomy, their fates still lied in the stars. She had also mentioned many typical things about how graduation was a time for new beginnings, but the mentioning of astronomy made her speech unique – made it so typical of his little dreamer.

As each student stood up to receive their diploma, Ash heard some stray whistles throughout, but when Mary-Lynette stood up, there was a clear and defined wolf-whistle from a few boys in the back row on the stage who were waiting to receive their diplomas still. Mary-Lynette blushed slightly and smiled as her picture was taken while shaking the principal's hand. After all the students had received their diplomas, the principal wished them well and congratulated them once again. All the students took off their caps and threw them in the air – they were finally done high school!

* * *

><p>Mary-Lynette's POV<p>

_I'm done!_ Those words ran through Mary-Lynette's mind a few times before they sank in. She was finished high school – no more getting up early, no more homework, no more dealing with the popular girls who think they're all that. Well, for the summer anyways. Then it was off to university to study astronomy.

As Mary-Lynette walked off the stage with the rest of her class, they were swarmed by family and friends. Her father and step mother found her quickly and each embraced her in a tight hug, giving their congratulations. Mark soon followed suit, with Jade close behind. Kestral also came over and hugged her. Mary-Lynette was somewhat surprised – Kestral had never hugged her before, or even given any sort of recognition that she really liked her. Before Mary-Lynette could dwell on this for too long however, because Rowan came up and hugged her tightly. All six of them stood back and looked at her, complimenting her speech and her dress and her hair and everything about her. Mary-Lynette thanked them all and smiled widely.

Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"I don't mean to interrupt, but I just wanted to express my congratulations to the young lady."

Mary-Lynette whirled around to find Ash standing behind her with a smile on his face, his ever-changing eyes gleaming. She immediately threw her arms around him, and he wrapped his arms around her back, surrounding her by his warmth.

_You came! _She said through the telepathic link which had opened up between them when they touched. Surrounded by the pink haze, silver cord thrumming, Mary-Lynette felt whole for the first time since Ash left her.

_Of course! I couldn't miss your graduation! _He replied. She could feel his happiness emanating from his mind, overflowing and entering hers.

What felt like hours later, Ash untangled himself from her embrace, keeping only her hand in his. It was enough to keep Mary-Lynette distracted as her father looked upon the two of them with confusion. Claudine looked pleased, and Mark and the girls looked somewhat smug.

"Um, Dad, Claudine, this is Ash Redfern. He's Rowan, Kestrel, and Jade's brother." Mary-Lynette tried to explain.

"Is he your boyfriend?" her father asked, with a slight hint of irritation from not having been told earlier.

"Something like that," she answered with a hint of a smile.

"Well, what do you all say to heading over there?" her father asked, gesturing towards the gym, which was the only area in town large enough for the dinner planned for that night. They began walking over towards the school, when Mary-Lynette could feel herself getting dizzy. Suddenly, the whole world went black.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey, thanks for reading! I was going to wait to upload this, but I didn't feel like waiting any longer. I had a few issues with Chapters 4 and 5 because I somehow managed to switch how I was narrating the story from third-person to first! So if you find any errors please let me know. Happy reading and don't forget to review!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

Ash's POV

Ash kept Mary-Lynette's hand safely in his as her father led them all towards the gymnasium for the dinner and celebration. As they were walking, he suddenly felt her hand go limp in his. Panicked, Ash put his arm around her waist just in time to catch her and keep her from falling over. He gently lowered to the ground, all the while shouting at her mentally.

_Mary-Lynette! Mare? C'mon Mare! What's wrong?_

There was no answer. Ash began screaming louder at her, pulling at the silver chord between them. Trying to pull her back. Suddenly, he eyes blinked open and she squinted as she looked at the group of people gathered around her. Ash heard sighs of relief echoing around him as he also let out a breath that he wasn't aware he was holding, relieved that his soulmate was alright.

Ash heard Mary-Lynette's father start speaking to her, asking her what happened.

"I-I'm not sure," she began. "Everything went black, and then I woke up and you guys were all crowded around me." _And I could hear your voice calling my name through it all, _she added mentally through the soulmate link.

"Are you okay then?" her father pried.

"Ya. I think so. My head feels kinda foggy, but it'll be fine," she replied casually. Noticing that she was trying to get up, Ash offered her his hand. Mary-Lynette took it with a grateful smile, and he pulled her up, putting his arm around her waist to help support her.

"Thanks," she said quietly to him. Ash was so tempted to probe her in regards to her fainting spell, but something stopped him. _Maybe it would be best to just let her tell me when she's ready._ I _mean, she certainly looked embarrassed by the whole ordeal._ Everything, from her flushed face as they walked towards the building, to her quiet thank you and silent attitude emanated embarrassment to the umpteenth degree.

* * *

><p>Mary-Lynette's POV<p>

As Mary-Lynette entered the gym with both her immediate and extended family, she was taken aback by the general splendor of it all. Ribbons and balloons and other sparkling decorations adorned the once boring walls. Ash squeezed her waist, sensing her amazement. Her father led the group over to a table seated towards the front of the area near the stage. As Mary-Lynette looked, she saw a little place card in the center of the table stating "Mary-Lynette Carter and guests".

"Guess this would be for us," she said redundantly, feeling remarkably stupid at that moment. _I mean, first I faint, now I'm acting like a complete idiot by stating the obvious. Geez! Having Ash around must have been making me more nervous than I originally thought_. _Or maybe it's the way Dad keeps eyeing him up._. Whatever it was, she was feeling self-conscious.

Once everyone was seated at the table, Mary-Lynette took another look around the gymnasium. She couldn't get over how, well, _different_ it looked. Her classmates who were more oriented towards this sort of thing had done an amazing job with the decorations! Lost in it all, she almost didn't hear my father say my name.

"Mary-Lynette," he announced grandly, "I just want to let you know again how proud of you we are! Graduation is a big milestone, and I'm so happy for you!" he went on to praise her and her accomplishments more before Claudine finally managed to make him be quiet.

"Honey, you're embarrassing her!" she chided gently. My father reluctantly admitted that she had a point, and stopped with the praise. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate my father's good opinion; it was just that sometimes he went a little over-the-top.

After a short time, the food was brought out to each table. Surprisingly, Mary-Lynette still wasn't totally sure if the Redferns could eat human food, but it was disappearing off their plates. She figured they were either eating it, or hiding it somewhere. Finally, after the plates were cleared, the music started. Ash stood up – with straight posture for once, she noted – and took her hand.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, bringing his lips to her hand for a brief second.

"You may," she replied, playing along with the façade.

Mary-Lynette smiled as Ash led her towards the center of the dance floor, placing his right hand on her hip and keeping her right in his left. He then proceeded to lead his soulmate in a slow circle, his eyes never leaving hers. Mary-Lynette also spent some of the night with her closest friends, reminiscing about their senior year and laughing at themselves and how they had acted throughout high school. However, most of the night they danced. _Oh wow. What a cliché I'm becoming. First the whole gallant prince comes just at the right time, then the dancing in the middle of the dance floor, the remembering with friends, then the dancing the night away._ _I'm pretty sure some girls would kill to be me at that moment – dancing with the most handsome boy I've ever seen in my dress that looks like the stars I adore.._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Mary-Lynette's POV

The next morning, Mary-Lynette was awakened by a searing pain in her chest. She let out a gasp before realizing the problem – _damn heart disease_. She rolled over to look at the clock, despite the pain. One in the afternoon! Oh wow! She'd pretty much slept half the day away! Oh well. _Last night was most definitely worth it_, she thought. Mary-Lynette started thinking about her magnificent grad night – the ceremony, the amazing decorations, the fun time with friends, and dancing with Ash. That's when it hit her. At grad, she had pretty much forgotten about the whole heart disease ordeal, despite her fainting spell. Now, however, the severity of the situation hit her full force. Tears began running down her cheeks and she slowly got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. When she went downstairs for a late breakfast – or rather, lunch – she was in control of herself and figured she could make it through the day without breaking down in tears.

"Morning sleepyhead," Claudine greeted the tired looking girl with a smile. "What time did you get in last night?"

"I have no clue," she replied. "It was sure a great night though."

As Mary-Lynette grabbed some food out of the cupboards, Claudine came and stood beside her.

"So who exactly is this Ash fellow?" she asked her with a knowing smile spreading across her face.

"He's the Redfern girls' brother. The second child I believe," she answered her casually.

"You told us that yesterday," Claudine answered. "What I meant was who is he to you?"

"Oh." Shoot. That had caught her off-guard for some strange reason. "He's my boyfriend."

"I don't remember you mentioning this before last night." She sounded somewhat confused. Mary-Lynette was thankful that her Dad was out or still sleeping or something, and not here.

"Well, he was living in another state for a while, so we haven't talked very much. I still really like him though, and I'm pretty sure he still likes me. So, I guess we'll try out this boyfriend-girlfriend thing for a bit this summer and see how things go."

Claudine simply looked at me. Mary-Lynette was certain that Claudine could tell that she wasn't telling her the whole story.

"Ummm, I think I might go visit the Redferns." she said after a few moments of silence. Throughout their conversation about Ash, Mary-Lynette had poured herself some cereal into a plastic bag, and was now proceeding to eat it dry. Claudine just sighed, still smiling. She started heading towards the door, hearing her footsteps behind her all the while. Turning around to say goodbye when she reached the door, Mary-Lynette noted that her expression had changed to one of worry. She gave her a questioning glance.

"Sweetie," she began. "I know this probably isn't my place to intervene, but if you and this Ash character are even a little bit serious, you should probably tell him about… well, you know what I'm talking about."

Mary-Lynette tried to smile back as she nodded. _Of course I know what she means._ There was only one problem: How do you tell the person you're supposed to be with forever that you've been given a death sentence?

* * *

><p>Ash's POV<p>

Ash's eyes opened as light streamed through a crack between the blackout curtains that covered his window. Well, now that he was awake, there was really no point in going back to sleep_. I should probably go hunting_. Ash had only stopped on the trip out here when he absolutely needed to, and didn't have time before or during Mary-Lynette's grad ceremony to sneak away and hunt quickly. He rolled lazily out of bed, thinking of the ceremony last night. Most of it had bored him – typical human stuff. However, Mary-Lynette's speech and overall appearance enthralled and captivated her sometimes superficial and shallow soulmate. _She looked stunning in her dress that matched the night sky she so loves. _

As he slowly got dressed, Ash heard a door open and close downstairs. He assumed it was one of my sisters. Probably _hunting or going out somewhere or something_.

"Hello!" he heard from below. It wasn't one of hid sisters though. It was Mary-Lynette! Ash hurried and finished changing before rushing down the stairs to see her. Her back was turned to him as he descended the staircase, so he figured that he would surprise her. Walking the quietest that he could manage, he snuck up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist and ducking his head by her ear to whisper to her.

"Hello Beautiful," he said.

Ash felt her jump slightly when he touched her due to the immediate fear of being snuck up on. Mary-Lynette then turned around so she faced him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Y'know," he started, "there's something I forgot to give you yesterday."

Before she could say anything or try to stop him, he bent my head down and kissed her softly on the lips. They were surrounded by the pink haze and all the pleasantness it brought with it, the soulmate bond thrumming between them. Their minds were connected to the point where they were almost one; thoughts flowing between them freely. But there was something she was trying to keep from Ash. Something she was trying to hide.

He broke the kiss off and she sighed out of what he assumed to be pleasure combined with the disappointment that he had stopped. Looking down at her, Ash decided to ask her about whatever it was she was hiding; almost certain it was connected to her fainting spell the day before.

_Hey, do you figure I could ask you something? _He asked her via the telepathic link that had been opened between them, not wanting to spoil the moment with voicing the question out loud. Not that this probably wasn't about to spoil the moment anyways.

_Anything._ She answered, her head resting gently on his chest.

Ash took one of his arms from around her back and used it to tilt her face up so she was looking at his.

"What was with the fainting spell yesterday? Please tell me. You were trying to keep something from me when we kissed too." Ash finally decided it was probably best to speak out loud now. It made everything seem so much more, concrete, per say.

Mary-Lynette sighed loudly.

"Well, I suppose I was going to have to explain this sooner or later, so it might as well be now while your sisters are out." She said, leading her soulmate towards the living room.

They sat down on the love seat, and she turned her body to face his.

"Okay," she began, taking a big breath as if to steady herself before speaking. "I've kinda sorta been diagnosed with heart disease."

_I must say, she was very blunt about it all_. The instant Ash heard "heart disease", he felt his entire body go numb. It was worse than being dumped in the Antarctic Ocean in the nude. Well, at least what he would imagine it would be like. All Ash could do was stare at her.

"Is-Is it….. fatal?" he finally choked out.

All Mary-Lynette did was nod. Tears were beginning to run down her face, and he wiped one off with his thumb before pulling her in close to his body. He could feel tears running down his own face as well.

_It'll be OK, _he kept telling her. _We'll find a way to fix this. I swear._

They simple sat there holding one another until interrupted by Rowan and Kestral, who were returning from hunting.

Mary-Lynette pulled away from Ash when she heard the door closing. The girls had purposely closed it loudly – probably in some attempt to wake him from his supposed slumber. They then entered the living room where he and Mary-Lynette were seated. The girls took one look at their faces and seemed to know immediately what the problem was. They sat down on the couch across from them, sympathetic looks on their faces. Ash couldn't even speak to explain anything to them. He was too stricken with grief. _My soulmate, my one and only, my bright shining star, my Mary-Lynette, has been condemned to death. _

* * *

><p>Mary-Lynette's POV<p>

Mary-Lynette looked up at Ash as his sisters entered the room. He had tears resting on his face, so she reached up and wiped them off, knowing he wouldn't want his sisters to see him crying. He looked down at her as she did so, and she gave a small smile. He tried smiling back, but it broke apart, and he looked like he was going to cry again. Mary-Lynette couldn't bear looking at him like that.

_Ash, _she said to him, _please don't look like that. You're making me want to cry just looking at you. You'll spoil your good looks if you keep it up. _

_Nothing matters in the world if you're not sharing it with me. The whole time I was gone I was missing you. I was trying so hard to prove myself to you in hopes that you'd take me back. Now, I don't know what to do. If you're not in my world, it's like a sky without stars! _

She appreciated the reference to the stars, but it didn't change the facts. She was going to die. There was nothing anyone could do about it.

"So you've told him then?" Kestral asked from her position on the couch across from her and Ash.

She nodded in acknowledgment, the pain of it all clearly etched across her face.

"Well, um, you might not be a huge fan of this idea, but we think we may have found a solution," Rowan said gently.

Mary-Lynette looked at her in awe. A solution? She didn't care what it was. She would go to the ends of the universe and back if it meant that she could live and spend her life with Ash! Mary-Lynette glanced up at him, and his face mirrored her amazement.

"I'm assuming that means you're all for it," Rowan laughed gloomily.

Both soulmates nodded vigorously. There wasn't anything that either wasn't willing the give up – was there?


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hope you're enjoying the story. Just wanted to say thanks for reading! :) Please let me know if you find any errors or things which don't seem quite right to you. As always, don't forget to review and let me know your thoughts on the direction the story is taking, your predictions on what is going to happen in future chapters, etc. Reviews are extremely helpful and are good motivators, helping get the next chapter written and published quicker! **

**Special thanks to:**

**kinanbon x3 - thanks soooooo much for the reviews :) my first ones, and they were extra helpful in getting me to work on the story in my spare time :D**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

General POV

Ash looked from Mary-Lynette to his two sisters anxiously.

"Well? What is it?" he demanded after the silence and anxiety had become too much for him to bear.

"Okay, well, we know you guys have thought about this before, but you need to understand that the situation is completely different now. The circumstances have changed entirely," Rowan began in a motherly tone.

"Please," Mary-Lynette said in a tone which was oddly harsh for her normal calm voice. "Get on with it!"

At this point Kestral butted in, "We want to change you to a vampire!" she blurted out quickly.

Mary-Lynette looked up at Ash, alarmed. He simply stared directly at Kestral as though she had lost her mind.

"What are you thinking?" he hissed.

"Well, we were _thinking _that at least this way your soulmate won't die!" Kestral hissed back.

Rowan butted in to keep her siblings from arguing any more. "Mary-Lynette, what do you think?" she asked her close friend in a motherly tone.

"I'm not really sure what to think," she replied with a hint of anxiety in her voice.

_If I became a vampire, I'd be strong and beautiful like Ash, _she thought to herself, not allowing Ash to hear her.

_And I'd be one with the night, and I'd be able to see so much of the sky with only my eyes, and… I wouldn't die!_

Mary-Lynette was comforted by these facts. She could become a person of the night. More importantly, she would be able to live with Ash forever!

"I'll tell you what I think," Ash began, startling Mary-Lynette. "I-I…" Ash faltered. Mary-Lynette could see rationality taking over in his mind.

"I-I … I guess it would work. But only if Mary-Lynette consents to it," he finally said, looking at her for her approval.

Mary-Lynette nodded vigorously. _If I'm a vampire, _she told him, _then we won't have to worry about any of this. I could even go back with you to Circle Daybreak and actually be of some use!_

"It's settled then," Rowan announced. "Mary-Lynette will become a vampire!"

At that moment, Mary-Lynette's brother, Mark, and his soulmate, Jade, walked into the house. Just in time to hear Rowan's announcement. Mark came bolting into the living room, Jade on his heels.

"Mare's becoming WHAT?"

"Mark, I'm slowly dying. This is my only way out," Mary-Lynette explained to her raging younger brother.

Seeing the logic, he slowly calmed down.

"All right," he finally consented. "But I'll only go along with this on one condition."

Five pairs of eyes stared at him questioningly as he smirked.

"I'm not gonna be the one to tell Dad."

* * *

><p>Ash felt Mary-Lynette stiffen beside him as her brother delivered his final blow. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and rubbed them in a dire attempt to thaw her frozen features. His attempts failed miserably. All he managed to do was make Mary-Lynette turn her head to give him an ice-cold glare.<p>

"What did I do?" he asked her innocently.

_There is no way we can tell my Dad all this stuff, _Mary-Lynette told him through the soulmate link. Each word covered in ice. _For one thing, he'll never believe you guys are vampires. Second, he'll NEVER consent to me become one if he miraculously does believe us. Thirdly… Well- well. It just won't work!_

Ash could sense Mary-Lynette getting more anxious sitting in a room with her extended family. That was probably why she was using the soulmate link to talk with him. It was much less embarrassing than voicing her concerns aloud. Nevertheless, Ash wanted to be able to talk to her.

"Hey Mary-Lynette," he said finally. "Do you wanna go for a drive?"

She looked at him strangely.

"I don't have my car here, but I can go g—"

"I'll drive." Ash cut her off sharply. Mary-Lynette began to worry. What was bothering Ash so much? It wasn't like she had meant her offer to be offensive. She had just assumed that she would drive. Looked like she had assumed wrong.

* * *

><p>Driving away in Ash's fancy car, Mary-Lynette felt disgruntled. Then she realized that Ash probably had just wanted to show her his car – typical guy. After a short while, they reached a place that looked oddly familiar to Mary-Lynette. Suddenly, it dawned on her.<p>

_This is the spot, isn't it. _

Ash nodded. Of course. He just had to bring her to the spot where she more or less murdered her best friend. It didn't matter if he was a werewolf and was trying to kill her soulmate. She had still killed him. This was also the very spot where Mary-Lynette had decided to become a vampire, then changed her mind. Why would Ash bring her here of all places?

"Ash, what are we doing here?" she finally asked aloud.

"You'll see."

Mary-Lynette had no choice but to follow Ash out of the car and into the forest. Once they were a ways in, he turned and looked at her.

"I know you're nervous about telling your Dad about my sisters and I and our plan," he started. Mary-Lynette tried to interrupt, but he cut her off.

"Fortunately, I have a little plan of my own." He grinned at Mary-Lynette, who took a step back.

"Ash –" she said before giving a little shriek as he quickly stepped towards her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

_You're too easy to scare. _Was the only reply she got.

_Well, what's this idea? _She asked nervously. _And I'd like the answer to be in words. Not actions. _

"Well," he spoke aloud. "I was thinking we could maybe start turning you into a vampire now. That way if your Dad wants to object, he won't be able to. He'll have no choice but to agree because the process will have already been started."

Mary-Lynette pulled away and looked up at her soulmate. His ever-changing eyes were a deep brown. They were full of sorrow. She could clearly see that he was heartbroken. And why wouldn't he be? She supposed. She was heartbroken as well.

"No. We can't do that," Mary-Lynette explained, looking down at the ground between them. "My Dad has to be okay with all this. If he's not, if he'd rather see me de-dead than one of you, I don't know what I'll do then. But for now, I can't let you change me."

Ash gazed at her with his sorrow-filled eyes. "If you insist."

_But, _he continued in her head. _If your Dad doesn't consent, there's no way in hell that I'm letting you die. I'll take you away from here and change you. I'm not letting you die….._

Mary-Lynette embraced her soulmate tightly.

"C'mon. Let's go for a walk."

The two stepped out of their embrace and started walking towards the car parked on the road. Though neither of them said it aloud or through the soulmate link, they both knew that they would have to tell Mr. Carter their plan to keep Mary-Lynette alive. They might as well get it over and done with.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Mr. Carter watched as a sleek black car with tinted windows pulled up in front of his house. His daughter and her boyfriend got out and walked towards the door with serious looks painted on their faces. He opened the front door before they were halfway up the front steps. Mary-Lynette had disappeared this morning. Claudine had said she went over to visit the Redferns, but when he had called over there to talk to her, he had been told that she and Ash had disappeared. Knowing he was being overprotective, the man still had no guilt about worrying so much about his daughter. After all, she was sick. Something could happen to her at any time.

The two teenagers reached the door, greeting the man with slight smiles. It was as if they were ashamed of something. No. It was more like they were hiding something, and Mr. Carter was determined to find out.

"Dad, do you figure we could talk to you and Claudine?" Mary-Lynette asked him quietly.

Oh. Maybe they were just going to tell him themselves.

"Sure," he consented quickly. "Would you mind finding Claudine?"

The two nodded and set off in search of Mary-Lynette's step-mother.

"Oh, Mr. Carter," Ash called over his shoulder. "My sisters and Mark are also coming over if you don't mind."

"Not at all."

Though Mr. Carter hadn't known Ash for very long – in fact he had met him only the night before – he noticed something odd about his daughter's boyfriend. He could have sworn that he didn't have brown eyes the day before. Come to think of it though, he couldn't quite remember what color his eyes had been. Mr. Carter finally dismissed the subject, thinking his mind was simply playing tricks on him.

Unbeknownst to Mr. Carter, Ash snuck out the back door quickly to grab a quick meal. His sister Rowan had told him she had a deer waiting for him just behind the house. Mary-Lynette smiled as Ash ran out the door with a quick glance back at her, smile on his face. She was amazed at vampire powers. Ash and his sisters could communicate telepathically with each other across an impressive distance. Mary-Lynette quickly went off in search of her step-mother so they could explain about Rowan and Kestrel's idea. By the time she was on her way to the living room, Ash had rejoined her, saying that the others were on their way.

This slight detour to the back door caused Ash and Mary-Lynette to arrive at the living room later than Mr. Carter and his wife. The girls and Mark were even there too! _Must've taken us longer in the kitchen than I thought._ Mary-Lynette thought to herself. Their detour wasn't as short as they had originally planned because the instant Ash snuck back into the house; he had wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. Their thoughts began to merge as he told her that he had gotten an incredibly good feeling about talking to her father. Mary-Lynette was pretty sure that his good feeling had more to do with the fact that he had just eaten than actually being excited about explaining everything. She was so nervous that her palms were clammy and she could see her hands shaking.

When they finally arrived, the only chairs left in the living room were the two single couches. Mary-Lynette sighed slightly and went and sat in the chair closest to the loveseat where her father and Claudine were seated. Ash took the seat closest to Rowan, seated on the couch with her two sisters and Mark. She had really been hoping to sit next to Ash. How else would she manage to calm down enough to tell her parents?

* * *

><p><em>Hey, just because I'm not sitting beside you doesn't mean I'm not gonna help you. <em>Her head snapped up and she found herself looking into Ash's eyes, which were slowly changing to a pale yellow. He looked just as nervous as she felt. Their gazes locked, and they stared into each other's eyes for a moment before they were interrupted by Mr. Carter.

"So, you had something to tell us Mare?" he asked, noting her sharing some sort of silent conversation with the blonde boy across the room.

Mary-Lynette looked nervously towards her father.

_You can do it, love, _Ash told her.

"Well, Rowan and Kestral came up with an idea about how we can fix this whole issue of me having heart disease," she began. "It requires an explanation first though."

Her father nodded for her to continue.

"You have to promise to be open-minded and listen until the end though."

"Yes, Mare. Please tell us." He was intrigued by the idea of making his daughter healthy again and he needed to hear how they planned on doing it.

"Well, the girls and Ash are – they're – you see – " she was having trouble getting the word out.

_Mare? Are you okay? _She heard four voices in her head simultaneously trying to encourage her, reassure her, ensure that she was alright, and even offering to tell her father for her.

_No, _she thought back. _He's gotta hear it from me. I want to be the one to tell him. If it's not from me, he might not take you seriously. _She told this to Ash, knowing he would tell his sisters.

Mary-Lynette took a deep breath and started over. "Dad, Rowan, Kestrel, Jade, and Ash are vampires," she said, her voice rushed. She had done it. She had told them. She had also broken Night World law, but that didn't matter. Her feelings of success were short-lived for she suddenly found herself facing two very shocked faces.

* * *

><p>"They're <em>what?<em>" her father half-yelled at her. "Is this some kind of a damn _joke_? Because that's what it feels like, and it's not very funny!"

Mary-Lynette flinched, cringing back into the cushions of the couch.

_Ash, help! Please! _She yelped mentally.

"Sir, please calm down. Mary-Lynette isn't trying to play a prank on you. She's telling the truth!" Ash became more frantic sounding as he went on – deeply affected by Mr. Carter's yelling, which continued on.

Not wanting them to start a fight, Rowan finally stepped in.

"Ash!" she yelled. "Shut up!" He complied.

"Mr. Carter, we know this is a shock. However, if you'll allow me to explain things to you and your wife, I'm sure you'll soon see that we are not joking at all."

Rowan had a way of calming Mary-Lynette's father down to the point where Mary-Lynette suspected mind control was involved. Her father nodded as he sat down, gesturing to Rowan to continue on and he slumped against the back of the loveseat.

"Yes, my siblings and I are vampires, but we are not your typical horror movie ones. We need blood only because our own is incapable of carrying oxygen to our cells. As such, we don't need much, just a little. We actually can get it from wild animals, which is what we do."

"We don't even kill them," piped up Jade from the middle of the couch.

Mr. Carter looked suspiciously at the sixteen-year old seated next to his son. Rowan didn't allow him to become distracted by her youngest sister.

"In fact, we are more like humans than you would think. My siblings and I are known as _lamia, _and we are born, age, and can have children just like humans."

As Rowan's explanation carried on, Mary-Lynette noticed her father's face becoming angrier, then more tranquil. She doubted that any of her blood sisters were using mind control, and she could clearly sense that Ash wasn't. She began to hope that her father might go along with their plan after all.

"Well then," her father began. "That was um…. Informative, I guess."

Claudine just nodded. She looked scared out of her mind.

"So, do you believe us?" Mary-Lynette probed.

"Guess I've got no choice. You've all made it pretty clear that you're telling the truth. But I don't understand how this is going to help you Mare."

At this point, Kestrel spoke up. After all, it was her idea to begin with, although Rowan was immediately on board. That was how she convinced her to take credit for half of it – Kestrel couldn't have herself looking like she cared _too _much for her blood-sister.

"You see, sir, vampires also have the ability to create made vampires. They're essentially like us, only they can't age or bear children."

Kestrel could see Mary-Lynette's parents come to realize what she was suggesting. Ash decided he should probably reassure them.

"That's our idea for how to save Mary-Lynette. By changing her into a vampire, it will effectively kill the disease, leaving a healthy body behind."

Mr. Carter simply stared at the teenage boy, noticing that his eyes were now yellow. Of course, the vampire thing explained that now.

"And what exactly is your purpose? If you're a vampire, why are you dating my daughter and not someone like you?"

"Well, in the Night World – that's the place we come from. Our secret society, if you will – there's this thing called the soulmate principle. It basically says that certain people have a special bond between them. They are made for one another. They're soulmates. That's what we are." He smiled at Mary-Lynette, who couldn't help but smile back.

"Jade and I are soulmates too!" Mark exclaimed, happy to be able to share this news with his parents.

They both smiled at Mark, happy that he had found someone to love. However, they were worried about him being _attached _to a vampire.

"Dad?" Mary-Lynette asked cautiously. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just – dealing."

"So, would you be okay with them changing me if it means that I live?"

"I-I suppose so. How exactly does it work?"

Rowan once again took the lead in the conversation. Mary-Lynette knew how it worked, but preferred having one of the Redferns explain it.

"Well, Mary-Lynette will exchange blood with one of –"

"Wait a second! _Exchange blood?_"

"Mr. Carter, if you just let me finish. One of us bites her, drinking some of her blood, and then she drinks that person's blood afterwards. After this process is repeated a few times over the course of a week or so, Mary-Lynette will essentially become comatose. She'll appear to be dead, but really, it'll be more like she's asleep. After a few days – when her cells are changed by the vampire blood in her body – she'll wake up as a vampire."

Mary-Lynette noticed her parents cringing as Rowan casually explained the process of changing her. Claudine looked especially pale.

"Well then, Mary-Lynette, I can see there's really no stopping you. You seem to have discussed this previously, and I don't want to keep you from being happy. Plus, I couldn't bear it if you d-died, and I knew that there was a way to keep you alive, and I didn't let you do it. Just promise me one thing."

"Anything," she breathed.

"Promise you'll keep in touch. Whether it's actually coming and visiting me, or if it's even just a letter every once-in-a-while. As long as I'm not losing you forever."

Mary-Lynette got up and wrapped her arms around her father.

"Of course. I wouldn't just disappear into the night. I'll probably even live here while I'm being changed. I'm just so happy you said yes!"

She moved over a few paces to hug her step-mother tightly as well. After, she wiggled in between them, happy that they approved of the girls' suggestion.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, Rowan spoke up.

"Um, Mary-Lynette, forgive me for asking this, but where do you want to do this? Now that we have your parents' permission, I'd really prefer to do this while your body is still strong enough to survive the change."

Mary-Lynette was shocked. She figured that she'd have a few days to prepare at the very least. What was she going to do?

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thanks to a sudden burst of inspiration, I managed to finish this chapter in a few hours. :) Sorry that it's so long; I just felt that I needed to explain everything and get it all over with in a single chapter. Hopefully you enjoyed reading it. Don't forget to review! Clearly all the reviews from the previous chapters helped inspire me to finish quickly! :D**

**Special thanks go out to:**

**Candace14: Thanks so much! Comments are always wonderful to hear! It's good to hear that my cliffhangers are doing their jobs properly. :) Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter!**

**Nightgirl25: I have to agree with you on that one! Haha. However, Mary-Lynette loves her parents, and Ash is afraid of essentially stealing Mary-Lynette from her family. Besides, Mark would surely find out and tell her parents. It all adds to the plot though as I hopefully managed to demonstrate above. Thank you so much for the review! I really appreciate it!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Mary-Lynette was scared out of her mind. Her parents had agreed to allow the Redferns to change her into a vampire. However, she was sure it was only because of the possibility of it saving her life. If there was any other way to keep her alive, she was almost one hundred percent positive that they would have chosen it over the only current option.

It wasn't the fear of drinking Ash's blood that was worrying her at present – it was the fear of actually becoming a vampire. Mary-Lynette had drunk Rowan, Kestrel, and Jade's blood back when they first learned about the Night World. The sharing of the blood had made them blood sisters, and essentially made Mary-Lynette – and her brother Mark – part of the family. She and Ash had also exchanged blood the night Jeremy died.

"Mary-Lynette?" Rowan attempted to bring her back into the real world.

"Oh. Sorry." Her head turned towards her friends on the couch.

"Where do you want to do this? Or rather, _who_ do you want to have do this, would be the better question."

Mary-Lynette gave her a look that seemed to say _You're really asking me this?_

"Ash, obviously," she announced, smiling warmly at him.

_I was beginning to think you forgot about me, _he said, chuckling to himself.

_Well of course I wanted you to do it! Who else?_

_I dunno. I was thinking maybe you'd want Kestrel or someone to do it._

Mary-Lynette shot him a sarcastic glance.

_Geez you can be an idiot sometimes_, she told him with a smile on her face.

"Are we missing something?" Claudine asked, looking from Ash to Mary-Lynette.

"Soulmates can kind of communicate telepathically," Mary-Lynette explained.

Claudine simple nodded in acknowledgement. It was clear that all the things she had learned about the world she thought she knew was overwhelming.

"So where should we do this?" Ash asked, looking at Mary-Lynette.

"Ummm….. My room I guess. Doesn't really matter to me."

"You guys can do it down here." Mr. Carter spoke up. "I'm sort of curious to see how this exchanging blood thing works." He admitted.

"Suit yourself," Ash replied.

"Dad, it might look a bit gruesome," his daughter warned.

"It's okay Mare. I can handle myself."

* * *

><p>Mr. Carter moved off the loveseat to provide his daughter and her soulmate a place to sit while performing the blood exchange. Claudine still sat there, looking as though she had been turned into a pale stone. Mr. Carter reached down and helped her up from the chair. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he led her over to where Ash had been sitting. Claudine dropped into the seat with an audible <em>thud<em> as Mary-Lynette and Ash sat down on the loveseat together.

_Are you sure you're ready for this Mary-Lynette?_ Ash asked her, his mental voice lathered in concern.

_Of course. My Dad is kind of expecting you to change me now anyways, _she laughed.

Ash slowly began to lean in, first giving her a quick kiss on the lips despite her on-looking parents, then moving his head down to her neck.

The feel of Ash's teeth piercing her skin was precisely how Mary-Lynette remembered it – like a jelly-fish sting. Short with a brief period of pain. Then his mouth was on her neck, and she could feel his warmth slowly spreading throughout her body, bringing her closer to him. She stroked the back of his neck as she had the last time they exchanged blood. Their minds slowly melted together and they were one.

Mary-Lynette could feel his mind all around her. Just as she remembered, it was filled with every imaginable color. There was one difference, however. The dark abyssal-like places in his mind were fewer. Less numerous.

_You _have _changed. _She told him

_I promised you a dragon, didn't I?_

Mary-Lynette just allowed herself to fall deeper into his mind, surrounded by an ever-changing rainbow. Her thoughts flowed freely with Ash's. _This _was how it was supposed to be.

As Ash began to pull his mouth away from Mary-Lynette, she let out a low, deep moan. "I've gotta stop, love. I don't wanna take too much." He told her in a low voice that her parents wouldn't be able to hear.

"Your turn now."

She watched as Ash ran a fingernail along the base of his neck, just above his collarbone, opening a small wound which bled bright red. Mary-Lynette looked upon him in shock.

"I learned a little trick from my cousin James," was all he said before encouraging her to lower her head towards his neck. As soon as she tasted the blood, Mary-Lynette instantly wanted more of the wonderful taste – magic; as old as the stars. Once again, their minds melded together. Ash was as amazed by his soulmate's beautiful mind as he was the first time they exchanged blood. She was twilight blue and fiery red, all in the same person. She was everything he had ever wanted.

When Mary-Lynette finished drinking, she wiped the blood from her face, embarrassed when she remembered her onlookers. Looking up at Ash, she gave him a quick kiss.

"Thank you," she whispered quietly.

"Anytime."

* * *

><p>Only then did Mary-Lynette and Ash dare to look out at the people watching them intently. Rowan, Kestral, Jade, and Mark looked bored. Claudine was as pale as ever. Mary-Lynette's father was wide-eyed. He continued to stare at them long after they exchange of blood had stopped.<p>

"Dad?" Mary-Lynette asked, after an awkward silence hung in the air. "Are you alright? Ash and I are gonna take off. Is that okay with you?"

"Oh. Ya. I guess so." He said, coming out of his trance.

As the two got up to leave, Mary-Lynette's Dad caught her in a sudden, tight, bear-hug.

"I love you, Mare. Never forget that." He told her as he watched her leave the house with the cat-like boy.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thanks again for reading. :) Figured I should finish this chapter and update quickly because you guys won't be getting another one until after Monday. Sorry. Feel free to review with any criticisms, ideas, feelings towards the characters/what's going on. Anything. Even flames only help me improve upon my writing skills. **

**Special Thanks to:**

**kinanbon x3: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews! :) I'm sorry I missed you last chapter; I had already posted when I got your review. I love hearing your thoughts. It's people like you who help inspire me to keep working away at the story. :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

It was growing dark as Ash left the house with his soulmate. The meeting with the Carters had taken a long time. Thought Mr. Carter was appalled at the idea that vampires existed, he eventually agreed to allow Ash to exchange Mary-Lynette. Ash was secretly thankful that they didn't tell him about the rest of the Night World – werewolves, shape-shifters, and witches. Now _that _would have been hard to swallow. For now, just having him know about vamps was enough.

"Do you wanna go grab a bite to eat?" he asked Mary-Lynette. "I'm starving."

"Sure," she consented, just happy to be away from her family's stares. They had been looking at her oddly since the exchange, as if they were expecting her to suddenly become savage and try to attack them.

"How about we head back to my place? I can make sure my sisters don't come home for a bit, and I can cook for you…" he trailed off into silence as he helped Mary-Lynette into the car.

_Sure. Sounds great,_ Mary-Lynette told him silently as he sat in the driver's seat of the black car. _It feels like we haven't really spent much time together – or _any _time together - since you got back._

_I agree completely._

They sat in companionable silence until they pulled up at the Redfern home.

_Wait here, _Ash instructed as he opened the car door. He walked around the front end of the car, opening Mary-Lynette's door as only a true gentleman could, offering his hand to assist her out.

"May I escort you to dinner, madam?" he asked in a false English accent.

"You may," she replied in an equally false accent, taking his hand.

Ash put Mary-Lynette's hand on his through his arm, and they promenaded up the path to the front porch, continuing their eighteenth century façade. However, their entertainment was cut short as they opened the front door and stepped inside. A sarcastic-sounding voice came drifted through the dark from the shadows at the end of the hallway.

"Why Ash, it's so nice of you to finally drop in."

* * *

><p>Rowan and Kestrel were driving around trying to think of something to do. Ash had asked them to give him some time with Mary-Lynette, and they were happy to oblige. Jade had opted to star for dinner with Mark and his family, so the two elder girls were left to find a way to entertain themselves.<p>

_Um, Rowan, Kestral, _the two sisters suddenly heard in their minds. _We kind of have a visitor. Go get Jade and come home. DON'T BRING MARK OR TELL HIM _ANYTHING_! _The voice of their brother yelled quickly.

Rowan promptly turned the car around, speeding back to the Carter household to retrieve Jade. As they pulled up at the front of the house, Jade was already waiting for them. As she slammed the car door, Rowan stomped on the gas pedal, and the car shot forwards at an alarming rate. They made it to the old house in record time, bursting through the front door to find their brother in a defensive position, one arm holding Mary-Lynette safely behind his back. As the girls stepped forward to join their brother, their "visitor" stepped out from the shadows.

All three girls gasped as their recently widowed mother, Dahlia Redfern, stepping into view.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry it took me a while to update and that its short (but it's sweet!). I was on a short "road trip" I guess you could call it, and found some paper and a pencil to write down this chapter. Managed to type it up in record time though! I hope you enjoy this, I'm still trying to figure out how to do this whole mother thing... Thinking I may have a good idea though. We'll see. As always, leave a review with any comments, criticism, suggestions, questions, errors that I have, anything; they're extremely inspiring! Happy Reading! (Also, if you haven't already, go see Harry Potter! It's AMAZING!)**

**Special thanks to:**

**Take Me To My Fragile Dreams: Thanks so much! I can't wait to write that part either! And no problem: working on some writing and will hopefully keep updating as frequently as possible! By the way, I love your pen name :)**

**kinanbon x3: Once again, thankyou. :) Your reviews always put a smile on my face! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, and hopefully you liked this one too**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Mary-Lynette watched fearfully as a young lady of about 30 stepped into her view. With her newly-enhanced night vision, she could see that the woman had long black hair, and was dressed in black as well. Her eyes were the darkest shade of black that Mary-Lynette had ever seen. Though the lady was a stranger to her, Ash's body language clearly portrayed hatred mixed with fear. The instant the woman's voice pierced the silence, Mary-Lynette could feel Ash's body tense up. He had pushed her behind his back when he became aware of the woman's presence; quickly saying that he couldn't use telepathy to explain anything. This left Mary-Lynette to her own assumptions; none of which were good.

"Well, well, well," the woman began; her voice cutting through the heavy silence like a wooden stake. "What do we have here? A human in the house of a Redfern?" Her voice dripped with superiority and distaste. She began walking towards Ash, making small "tsk tsk" noises, as though she was appraising him and the girl cowering behind him. The girl looked more defiant than scared. Almost as if she was going to jump out and challenge the lady herself rather than cower behind Ash's back. Dahlia moved closer still.

"Well children, explain yourselves."

When the Redferns made no move to say anything, she moved closer to Mary-Lynette. Placing a finger under her chin, she tilted it upwards so as to properly inspect it. A whole head taller, Dahlia frowned down on the teenager, a scowl stretched tightly across her face.

"And who might this be?"

Mary-Lynette was too frightened to move, let alone answer the lady's question. Ash seemed to be feeding off Mary-Lynette's fear. Or maybe it was his own that had him paralyzed in front of her. Thankfully, Rowan, as always, managed to remain calm.

"Mother, this is our friend…" she trailed off as her mother glared at her.

Rowan mentally cringed. She refused to show emotion in front of her mother. After the girls had left the island to live in Briar Creek, their mother had been furious. Actually, that was probably an understatement. She was ready to murder the three and if they came back, she was prepared to never allow them to see daylight - let alone outside the family home - again. Once their father was killed, it had been worse. The news that Hunter Redfern had been killed a Wild Power spread like wildfire across the Night World, and eventually reached the girls. At that point, they ceased the few communications they had with their mother, frightened of her wrath.

"You stopped answering my letters," Dahlia accused the girls. "So, I was forced to come investigate. I knew that you couldn't be up to any good. And this has proved my point. Invit-"

"Hold on a seco-" Kestrel interrupted, but Dahlia held out a hand towards her; palm out.

"Let me finish, you ungrateful little wretch. Here I find you with that girl in our home, Ash treating her like he's in love with her! Now, seducing girls so you can drink is one thing. But this - this, is a disgrace to the Redfern family name!"

All four Redfern children looked defiantly at their mother, strongly disagreeing with her statement and general attitude.

"Well, in that case, we'll just be leaving," Ash said, turning towards the door, grabbing Mary-Lynette's arm as he did so.

"Not so fast!" Dahlia exclaimed, grabbing Mary-Lynette's other arm and pulling.

Unlike Ash, Dahlia grabbed her arm with inhuman strength. If she hadn't just exchanged blood with Ash, Mary-Lynette's arm would have surely been broken. Trying to pull her arm out of Dahlia's grasp, Mary-Lynette began trashing wildly. Ash leaned in close and whispered in her ear.

"The more you struggle against her, the more satisfying she'll find causing you pain, and the more she'll do it." He was hoping that his mother wouldn't hear the whisper, but she clearly did.

She gave a sharp tug on Mary-Lynette's arm. Not wanting to hurt her, Ash was forced to relinquish his grip on her other arm.

Dahlia pulled Mary-Lynette close to her, wrapping an arm around her to hold her there. Mary-Lynette struggled just as much as ever before finally tiring herself out and standing still. Though she was no longer struggling, her fear was still unmistakable. Her wide eyes darted between Ash, the girls, and her captor. Finally Ash couldn't bear it anymore. He had to use the soulmate link to tell Mary-Lynette to calm down and that everything would be okay. He couldn't see her so frightened anymore.

_Mary-Lynette? _no answer.

_Mary-Lynette! Please answer me! _

_Ash? Please help me! _

_I will, love. Just hang on. Don't be scared. I swear I will not let her hurt you!_

Mary-Lynette eventually began to calm down after much encouragement and reassurance from Ash. Dahlia still held onto Mary-Lynette tightly; enjoying the pain it evidently caused her children. The instant that Ash began his silent conversation with Mary-Lynette through the soulmate link, Dahlia's smirk grew wider.

"Ash," she began after Mary-Lynette had been calmed down. "Is there something you forgot to tell me?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey everyone! Sorry it took me so long to update, but here it is (finally). I know it's short, but I have recently suffered from a bout of writer's block. :( Hopefully this meets any expectations you may have... Thank you, as always, for the reviews. You guys are all amazing! Criticism is welcome as well - anything to get the creative juices flowing! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Mary-Lynette was scared senseless. She and Ash had simply been going to his house for dinner, and now she was being more or less held hostage by the Redferns' mother. Not to mention that one arm was throbbing with pain. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. They were building up just behind her lower eyelid. It was like a dam threatening to overflow. If something wasn't done soon to stop the water from building up, it would simply overflow and it may not be able to be stopped. When she heard Ash's voice in her head, she froze. She didn't want to let herself believe that Ash was talking to her through the soulmate link. If he was, that would mean that she was doing a horrible job of hiding her true emotions, and that he was worried enough to compromise his own safety, as well as that of his sisters. She couldn't let him do that. Despite this resolution, Mary-Lynette still found herself telling Ash that she was in need of help. Not her best decision, but it couldn't be helped.

Suddenly, the arms around her tightened, and Mary-Lynette was being dragged towards the living room. She was past fighting. By now, she had learned that it only ended with her getting hurt. The pressure being put on her arm by the woman's strong muscles caused it to throb painfully.

"Ash!" she managed to choke out before a hand was put over her mouth. It was tight enough that she was unable to move her jaw enough to bite or even lick the suffocating hand.

"Mary-Lynette!" Ash yelled back, following his mother and soulmate to the living room. "Hold on!"

Dahlia Redfern sat on the love seat, still holding Mary-Lynette tightly.

"Well children. This _is _your home. Feel free to sit," she remarked conceitedly as the four young vampires sat - the girls on the large couch and Ash on a matching chair.

"So Ash," she began again once they had taken their seats. "Don't think I didn't hear that little exchange earlier. Would you care to explain this little scoundrel to me?"

"As soon as you release her, I will be more than happy to explain," he retorted angrily.

"Oh, but look at us. We are fine sitting on this lovely couch of yours." Dahlia adjusted her position so that Mary-Lynette was seated beside her. However, her arm still remained over her shoulder so as to prevent her from escaping. Mary-Lynette could feel the lady's sharp nails digging into her shoulder. Thoughts of escaping gave her mind a wide berth.

"She comes over to sit with me first. At least you can grant me that. I'll make sure she doesn't escape." Ash said in his silky voice. For a moment, Mary-Lynette was almost frightened of her beloved soulmate. She had never heard so much hate in his voice. Not even when Jeremy had tried to kill him.

"Please mother?" he tried again.

After deliberating for what seemed like forever, Dahlia finally released Mary-Lynette, who ran to Ash as though she was being chased by some sort of bloodsucking monster. She was. She planned on keeping as much space between the frightening old hag and herself as she could. Ash embraced her when she reached him, but it didn't give her the same warmth and feeling of safety that it usually did. Something was amiss. Maybe it was the fact that her soulmate was steeled and unemotional.

_He's trying to deny the fact that we're soulmates_, she realized quickly. Deciding that it was wise to go along with the charade, Mary-Lynette positioned herself of Ash's lap, trying her best to look as though she was simply an easily-seduced teenager who was only there for one reason.

Dahlia was not buying it. She knew something was going on with her only son right from the moment he pulled up and began talking to the girl using telepathy. Only sensing one vampire, she correctly assumed that the girl was human.

"Ash? Who. Is. This. Girl." She made every word into its own sentence simply to make her point clear - not that it wasn't already. "She's no vampire, yet she clearly seems to know about us. Who is she? Why have you so carelessly blown your cover?" By the end, Dahlia was almost yelling at her children. Most of her wrath was focused on Ash. He tried to look as confident as he could with Mary-Lynette seated on his lap.

"Who said that we've blown our cover?" he asked innocently. "Mary-Lynette here is just a normal human being who's come for a good time." At the bit about having a good time, Ash's lips turned up into a smirk. If Mary-Lynette wasn't certain that Ash would never hurt her, she would have been terrified.

Still continuing on with their charade, Mary-Lynette attempted to pull away, realizing that it would cause her to appear more human. Human and frightened. Almost like she had been naive to the supposed danger until that point. Ash appropriately tightened his grip on her. To an onlooker, it would appear that he was restraining her; his strong fingers making her skin go white. Both were hoping feverishly that their story would be believed.

"Jade, dear," Dahlia began after observing Ash and Mary-Lynette. "Would you be so kind as to escort this - _girl _- to Ash's bedroom? She can be contained there until we are certain of what to do with her."

Jade got up and dejectedly took Mary-Lynette from her elder brother. His eyes were a dark silver. The look he gave her was filled to the brim with sorrow and pain. Jade tried her best to tell him it would be okay using only her eyes, but she didn't seem to be very good at it because his expression remained the same.

"Oh, and take Rowan and Kestrel with you too, please. I need to talk to your brother. Alone." The other two girls promptly got up and began following Jade and Mary-Lynette up to Ash's room. The three vampires had their heads bowed submissively. They were scared for their brother, but even more scared of their mother. Ash was strong. He would be able to withstand any sort of mental games which their mother played with him. Her wrath would have been worse had the girls chosen not to obey.

Mary-Lynette refused to leave her soulmate without putting up a fight. It took all three girls to get her up the stairs without hurting her. All the while, Mary-Lynette was trying to run down the stairs to Ash. She screamed his name out a couple times before she felt Rowan's hand clamp down over her mouth. She still kept struggling as they carried her up the stairs. Finally, one of Mary-Lynette's stray attempts at a kick found its mark. She hit Jade right behind the knee cap. Jade had been turned around for a second in order to sneak a glance at what was going on in the living room. Irritated at Mary-Lynette, the other girls dropped her, allowing her head to hit against the top stair with just enough force to knock her out.

* * *

><p>When Mary-Lynette opened her eyes, she found herself looking at a fairly plain, nondescript room. She was lying on a cloud-like bed with a splitting headache. As she slowly sat up, holding her head, Rowan looked disapprovingly at her from a desk in the corner.<p>

"What happened?" she asked, her head feeling murky.

Rowan sighed. "You decided to put up a fight. You're lucky you had some vampire blood in your system, or you'd have more than a headache right now."

"That still doesn't explain what happened." Mary-Lynette insisted.

"Well," Rowan sighed again out of annoyance. "Our mother wished to speak to Ash in private, so she asked us to escort you up here. You put up such a fuss that you were drawing too much attention to yourself, so we had to knock you out."

Mary-Lynette was in a state of disbelief. Rowan, calm level-headed Rowan, angry at her for not wanting to leave her soulmate alone with that - that - monster! Granted, it was their mother, but still! She could easily kill any one of them!

"Where's Ash then?" she asked in a panicky voice.

"Downstairs. He hasn't called us for help or anything yet, so he's fine. Don't worry." Leave it to Rowan to go from being mad to super calm.

Mary-Lynette simply nodded, fuming inside as the memories slowly came back to her of what had just happened. She remembered a young looking lady who spoke as though she had seen centuries pass by - perhaps she had. Ash had been pretending that he only meant to seduce Mary-Lynette.

_What if it wasn't really an act? _A little voice in her head nagged. Mary-Lynette did her best to quash the irritating voice, but she knew it was still there.

_No, _she told herself. _Ash loves me. I know he does._

_But he left you before. _Gr. That stupid little voice was back! Ash was her soulmate. There was no way that he would have made everything up. He loved her. She just had to believe.

"Rowan," Mary-Lynette began after a few moments of silence. "What exactly was the purpose of us not telling your mom about _us_?" She knew Rowan would know what she meant without mentioning names in case her mother was listening below for names.

"If my mother knew about you two," she began seriously, "she would report us to the Night World Authority and we'd all be sentenced to death - all of us. That includes your family if she were to find out."

Mary-Lynette simply stared in shock as the reality of the situation sank in.

"Mare?" she heard a tiny voice from a corner. Jade. The only Redfern who called her Mare. She must have picked it up from Mark.

As Mary-Lynette turned her head to look at Jade and noticed Kestrel sitting beside her as well, looking extremely vexed. Mary-Lynette couldn't blame her. First her Mom had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, then her brother's soulmate decides to make a scene. Great. Just another reason for Kestrel to hate her.

* * *

><p>A loud <em>thud<em> from below caused Mary-Lynette to snap out of her little world of thoughts. As she looked around at the other girls, Mary-Lynette could tell that something wasn't right. They seemed too worried. Her heart pounding against her breastbone, it took every ounce of strength not to call out to Ash through the soulmate link to be sure he was OK.

_It's fine, _she thought to herself. _If Ash was hurt, I'd be able to feel it. Wouldn't I? _

_Unless he's purposely cutting you off because he doesn't care what happens to you. _Dammit! That voice was back again! _Why do you think you're up here while he's down there? He's either trying to get you killed, or get himself killed so he doesn't have to spend his life with a nerdy, ugly little thing like you!_

Rowan started towards the door to go make sure everything was alright, asking Jade and Kestrel to watch Mary-Lynette, who seemed to slowly be going into hysterics for no apparent reason.

_You know it's the truth! He told you so himself that night when you first kissed! He even said to you '"I've done everything I could to get rid of the feeling but it just won't _go._"'. You remember that night. As much as you want to believe otherwise, he meant what he said about wanting to not love you. _

Mary-Lynette was struggling with the voice now. It was a fierce battle that only she could hear.

_You know he doesn't love you. He left you, remember?_

_But he came back!_

_Only to dispose of you. Why do you think he waited so long?_

_It was only a year! He was killing me a dragon!_

_But that year alone almost killed you. Don't even try denying it. You seem to love him more than he loves you._

_No! He loves me just as much!_

_Things have been different since he came back though. He's been more distant._

_No…. No…. That's only because of my heart. He's just worried about me._

_Worried about you? Perhaps in the sense that he now has to think of an excuse to not change you. Did you think his mother showing up here was a coincidence? I think not._

"NO!" Mary-Lynette finally screamed out loud at the voice. It couldn't be true, could it? Ash loved her. She knew that. But, what if the voice was right? It did seem to have some pretty good insight into the situation.

Not thinking straight, Mary-Lynette ran to the bedroom door, and opened with shaking hands, hoping Kestrel and Jade wouldn't try and chase her. If they did, she wouldn't stand a chance. She had to see Ash. To make sure that he loved her. That everything they had wasn't just a lie. As she dashed down the stairs, her vision suddenly went black and her chest seared. The anxiety of the situation was getting to her. The last thing she heard was her name being yelled from two different directions.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hello again my wonderful readers! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know there's a lot of passing out/getting knocked out and such, but it all is key to the plot (or shall be eventually). I know it makes Mary-Lynette seem a little weak, but that's the point. Though normally she's strong and independent, her helplessness is important at this point in the story. **

**As always, please review. They make me smile like crazy and help me write things faster. :) **

**So, anyone have any ideas about that annoying little voice?**

**Special thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter 10! You're all amazing!**

**Thanks for reading! And happy writing! :D**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Rowan heard a loud noise coming from the stairwell. Ash and her mother heard it as well.

"Mary-Lynette!" Rowan and Ash called out. Ash was louder than her and drowned her voice out. The facade was clearly done with. Over. Their mother had to have figured it out. Looking over at her, Rowan noticed that a wide grin decorated Dahlia's face. She knew something they didn't. Rushing over to the staircase, Rowan joined her four siblings. Ash had Mary-Lynette's head in his lap, trying to make sure she was okay. His fear radiated out from him like a waterfall of emotion. Rowan could feel it, and she knew her mother could as well.

As Dahlia walked over to her children, Ash looked up at her. His face said it all - he was going to kill her. Kestrel grabbed his arm.

"Ash. Think about this for a minute. This isn't anyone's fault. It was an accident." She was genuinely frightened for her brother and his soulmate. As annoying as he was, he was still her brother and she still loved him.

Lifting Mary-Lynette's head enough to slide it onto Jade's lap, Ash stood up, ready to face his mother. He no longer cared if she knew about him and Mary-Lynette. Look where pretending had gotten them.

A gentle tug on the silver cord got his attention for a moment. It was enough of a distraction to make him an easy target. Dahlia had him pinned on the ground in a second.

"Well Ash, is there something you want to tell me now?" she asked, sneering down at him.

"Actually yes," he grunted. Trying to get up. Realizing he had no chance, he gave up before speaking again. "Mary-Lynette is my soulmate. That's right. I said it. My. Soulmate."

Ash took her moment of astonishment to right himself so he towered over his mother defiantly.

"Unfortunately for you, I already knew all this from the moment you stepped into this house and talked to her telepathically." Dahlia smiled up innocently at her only son. She knew it would come down to this, but she hadn't been able to help herself. Toying with people was in her nature. Playing along with her son's little charade had been entertaining while it lasted, but enough was enough. She was tired of him pretending that he was seducing her. Though she knew his habits, there had been reports of him joining up with the scum who made up Circle Daybreak. Showing up with vermin had been worse than her deepest suspicions. She hadn't thought that he may have found his soulmate. Although it would explain him standing up to his father; convincing him to allow the girls to stay in the middle of nowhere. It was just an excuse to come back. At the precise moment she saw the two of them together, everything fell into place like pieces of a puzzle.

Dahlia Redfern was not one to come straight up and say something though. Her late husband had often left her to deal with vermin when he didn't have the time to kill them himself. Instead of killing them immediately, she toyed with them; Dragging out the suffering until they were begging to be killed. It was her way of entertaining herself while her husband was away, and it had become more than a habit - it had become her entire personality. Now her position had been reversed - she was the hunted.

Towering over his mother, Ash felt what used to be one of his favourite things - power over life and death. He could choose to end his mother's life at any moment. The old Ash would have felt empowered by this situation. He would have relished in the fact that he could end his mother's life. Now that he had met Mary-Lynette, things had changed. He no lingered enjoyed this kind of power. He still liked the feeling, but quickly pushed it away, not wanting to be responsible for this act. Deep inside, he knew that Mary-Lynette wouldn't forgive him or look at him in the same way if he did it. Suddenly he heard a voice in his head.

_Ash, Ash, Ash. I thought I raised you better than this. Really? Her? Look at her. That's right. Take a good, long look._

Ash refused to turn his gaze from his mother, knowing the instant he did, she would be on him.

_See? Not that pretty, a little too brainy. Too confident. She's not right for you Ash. She's nothing like the girls who are good for you. The ones who don't know about the night world and who you're not afraid to feed from. At least they're useful. This little twit here is nothing but a burden. Now she wants you to change her? Why? Do you even know? She's just using you to gain immortality. This is why it is forbidden to fall in love with a human. They're manipulative, and deceitful, and they will betray you without a second thought. _

_No, _Ash thought. That couldn't be true. Mary-Lynette loved him, and he loved her.

_But she sent you away once. She clearly does not feel the same way about you. Chances are, she's planning on leaving you herself after she's immortal._

"NO!" Ash yelled out, blinded with fury. "You're lying! Stay out of my head you poisonous monster!"

With that, he stormed out of the house, picking up Mary-Lynette and carrying her in his arms.

"And if you try following us, I _will _kill you!"

"No you won't Ash. I know you. But just think about what I said." Dahlia called to him from her position on the ground. Her previous expression of fear had turned into a cruel and mocking smile.

So much for becoming the hunted.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, what did you think? So the voice was Dahlia... interesting. By the way, everyone who guessed, you are all freakishly good guessers! Give yourselves pats on the back. Actually, just give yourself straight-up hugs! I was sitting reading the reviews, shocked at how accurate some of the guesses were!**

**Also, I apologize for this chapter being short. I guess I just haven't been feeling very inspired lately - I think my muse has decided to take a much-needed vacation. :( I miss her terribly! **

**Special thanks to:  
>musicbaby2013<br>Paranormalcy  
><strong>**starr1095  
>HannahxLuzha<br>mj-a4evaxx  
>kinanbon x3<br>smilinggalxoxo  
>Your reviews mean the world to me and they are definitely what keep me writing and constantly trying to come with ideas! :D <strong>

**So I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll hopefully get writing and get the next chapter up soon! (Maybe my muse will come back.)**

**Don't forget to review and let me know what you're thinking!**

**Happy Writing!**

**P.S. I was aimlessly looking at L.J. Smith's website in hopes that the release date for Strange Fate was up (and before 2014 :/) and stumbled across an interesting little bit of information. It would seem that I accidentally said Mary-Lynette lived in Ohio. According to the summary of the book on her site, she actually lives in Oregon... Oops. My bad. I shall change it immediately. Sorry!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Ash stormed out of his home with Mary-Lynette in his arms. He was furious. Typical of his mother to show up and make a scene. What had she done wrong?

Well first of all, she had showed up. Ash knew that she was grieving for his father, but he knew that it was mostly an act. His parents had grown apart a long time ago.

Then she had the nerve to hold Mary-Lynette hostage before forcing the girls to take her upstairs. That part didn't bug him much. He trusted his sisters to take care of her - after all, they did just that for almost a year when he left.

Finally, his mother dared tell him that Mary-Lynette didn't love him and that she was only using him. Like he'd buy that one.

Being careful not to hit anything, Ash placed Mary-Lynette in the passenger seat of his car and buckled her in before walking around to the driver's seat. Making sure not to hit the many potholes which littered the streets, Ash slowly drove towards the Carter household, hoping Mary-Lynette would wake up before they got there. Praying that he wouldn't have to explain it to her parents.

As he pulled up in front of the house, Ash sighed. Mary-Lynette was still passed out. He had no doubts that she was alive because he could still feel the silver cord connecting them. He gave it an experimental tug, hoping to wake his soulmate. No luck. Dammit. This was gonna be so much fun. In a foul mood, he lifted Mary-Lynette from the car and walked up to the door. Now, should he knock? Or just walk in? He was with Mary-Lynette so it would probably be okay for him to just walk it, right? Thankfully, Ash wasn't left to consider his predicament for very long. In front of him, the door began opening, showing a yellow light through the cracks forming around the perimeter.

He took a deep breath and steeled himself as the door opened completely to reveal Mary-Lynette's father standing with a disapproving look on his face, Claudine right behind him.

* * *

><p>"Ash? What happened?" Mr. Carter began seriously; worry taking over his voice halfway through.<p>

"Well, sir, I'm not really sure. I was speaking with my mother at the time, and the next thing I knew, Mary-Lynette had passed out. She was with my sisters at the time as my mother wished to speak with me in private. It was probably something to do with her heart maybe?"

The Carters just nodded and gestured for Ash to enter the house.

"You can lay her on the couch in here if you want. Or there's her bedroom upstairs. The couch would probably be best - your arms must be getting tired." Claudia offered.

"I'll take her upstairs, if you don't mind. And don't worry," he added with a smirk, "vampire strength, remember?"

With that, Ash headed up the staircase, closely followed by Mr. Carter and Claudine.

"Mary-Lynette's room is that one," Mr. Carter said, pointing to a door left slightly ajar.

Ash nodded and headed towards the room, when Mark popped his head out from the door across the hall.

"Hey As- What's wrong with Mare?" Mark was definitely worried. He probably thought it was Ash's fault too. Great. One more member of the Carter family who distrusted him with his soulmate. Brilliant.

"I'm not really sure. She just kinda passed out," Ash lied. Well it wasn't a total lie; Mary-Lynette really did just pass out - to his knowledge at least - and he wasn't with her at the time, so he didn't know the reasoning.

Not wanting to be left out, Mark followed Ash and his family into Mary-Lynette's room.

Entering a large but cluttered room, Ash walked over to the single bed and placed his beloved stargazer gently on the blankets. He sighed sadly and took a look around him. The walls were painted twilight blue. He noticed glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to the roof. He laughed to himself. Typical of his little stargazer. There were various star-related stickers and posters around the room. Mary-Lynette had always wanted to be one with the night. He assumed this was her way to do so. After the Carter family followed him in, things began getting awkward for Ash. He wanted to be there for Mary-Lynette, but her family's stares were almost too much to bear. But he couldn't leave her. He had to be there when she woke up. He had to explain what was going on and what had happened. More importantly, he had to find out what happened to her. Why she had passed out.

* * *

><p>Sitting in Mary-Lynette's room, Ash looked around awkwardly at the small gathering. Mr. Carter caught his eye at one point, and Ash quickly looked at the floor. He was too frightened to hold his gaze long enough to see anything in them. Ash was frightened of the anger he expected to see.<p>

"Ash?" Mr. Carter spoke out suddenly. His voice was quiet and nervous as though he was scared Ash would hurt him.

He looked up, his eyes looked almost white with the fear of Mary-Lynette passing out.

"I just want you to know," Mr. Carter began nervously, "that I don't blame you for Mary-Lynette being this way. You don't know how upset she was these past few months. Even though you've only been back a day, I've seen a change in her. I know you've good for her; and maybe she's good for you too."

Ash just stared at the man in awe. Was he just saying that he trusted a vampire with his daughter?

_Hm, _thought Ash, _Maybe some humans could handle knowing about the Night World after all._

Looking down at Mary-Lynette, he thought of how she wanted him to stop treating humans as vermin. He was beginning to see why - some of them were actually decent.

Mr. Carter sat at the head of Mary-Lynette's bead, while Claudine sat beside him, with Mark in between. They were all stroking her or holding her hand. Ash felt a bout of longing to touch his soulmate. Everyone else was gathered around her so that he was shoved awkwardly and unceremoniously off to one side. Noticing the look which Ash had on his face, Claudine gestured for him to come closer. He cautiously did as she ask, and suddenly found himself wrapped in a warm embrace.

"You're family now, you know that, right?" Ash was taken aback by this sudden gesture of love given to him by this woman. He was under the impression that she wanted nothing to do with him.

"Th-Thank you." he stammered, embarrassed.

Stepping back to his position at the foot of the bed, Ash brushed his hand against Mary-Lynette's foot, he found it to be ice cold. Claudine noticed him shiver slightly as the cold temperature gave him gooseflesh up his arms.

"May I?" he asked, gesturing to her feet.

Claudine nodded, and Ash proceeded to climb onto Mary-Lynette's bed, sitting so her feet were on his lap. Hoping to warm them, Ash rubbed them vigorously. He was just happy to be near enough to her to touch her.

After a minute, Mr. Carter couldn't take it anymore. He wanted his daughter back. He couldn't bear to see her lying there on her bed, looking so small. In his eyes, she was still his little girl. She always would be.

"Ash? Would you be able to do me a favour?" he asked, more confident sounding this time.

"Mm?" Ash made a questioning noise, engrossed in warming his soulmate's feet and ankles, lost in his mind.

"Is there any way that you could wake Mary-Lynette up?"

Ash considered that idea. It was true, he probably could've. He scolded himself mentally for not thinking of the idea himself.

"Ya Ash!" Mark piped up, "Use the soulmate link to call her back to you!"

"I can try," Ash said; not wanting to bring their hopes up too much just in case something went wrong.

_But nothing's going to go wrong_, he thought to himself.

Ash took a deep breath before leaning forward and placing his hands on Mary-Lynette's. He was sort of laying over her, but he really didn't care. All that mattered was getting Mary-Lynette to wake up, and physical contact strengthened the bond they shared.

_Mary-Lynette! _Ash called out mentally. _Mary-Lynette can you hear me?_

Ash gave a tug on the silver cord just to make sure she was still there.

_Mary-Lynette, love, it's alright. Everything's okay now. We're at your house, in your room. My Mom is still at my place, and the girls will keep her from coming anywhere near us. Your Dad and brother and Claudine are all really really worried about you. I'm not worried - I'm devastated!_

Mary-Lynette's eyelids fluttered ever so slightly, and Ash vaguely heard a gasp from Claudine, who was amazed at what Ash could do without even opening his mouth.

Ash ignored her and the others. His focus was entirely on Mary-Lynette. Looking at her eyelids, he stroked the side of her face. Tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear, he called to her once more, gently tugging on the silver cord.

_Mary-Lynette? Are you there? I know you are. Please please please just wake up. I need you Mary-Lynette! Your family needs you! Don't leave us. Just wake up, please?_

Ash was begging by the end. Almost mentally in tears. He had one more idea though; and as cliched as it sounded, he hoped it would actually work.

_Mary-Lynette, I'm giving you one last chance. Wake up, please?_

And with that, Ash leaned down closer to Mary-Lynette's face and paused there, anticipating the moment.

_Goddess, please make this work! _He prayed silently.

Finally, Ash closed the distance between their lips, and softly kissed his soulmate, fully opening the bond between them.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: MY MUSE IS BACK! Of course, all the wonderful reviews (and a very long and inspirational PM) helped too! You guys are the greatest! **

**So I hope you enjoyed this chapter - I know I enjoyed writing it :D And there is definitely more to come still! (Have been feeling like writing lately for no particular reason other than just to write). **

**What did you guys think of this chapter? Do you think Ash's idea to wake Mary-Lynette will work (by the way, I'm so sorry about using such a cliche... I just couldn't resist adding it in)**

**A very very special thanks from the bottom of my heart (or whatever part is the important part) to my awesome reviewers:  
>musicbaby2013: Haha Hopefully she does... Guess you'll just have to wait and see :P<br>**

**smilinggalxoxo: YAY! Thankyou! I'm glad that I've managed to get you guys to the point where you're putting yourselves into their shoes, and experiencing physical emotions in regard to what's happening! Hehehe  
><strong>

**kinanbon x3: I definitely have to agree with you on that one! And sorry... Adding suspense is how I make sure you all keep reading :)  
><strong>

**Night-Alice: Thanks! Suspense is super-fun to write, I must confess ;) That's good that you're wondering what's gonna happen - means I've got you all where I want you *cackles*. And hopefully I'll be able to implement some of those spectacular ideas into the next chapter! They just didn't seem to want to fit here... But nevertheless, they shall appear! **

**: You got it! Hahaha Your review definitely put a smile on my face :) LoL**

**peppa12: Thanks! And hopefully this meets your expectations**

**ernesdo: Awwwwww thank you SO much! Reviews like this are the ones that quite literally make my day! And thankfully she's returned, meaning hopefully quicker and longer updates :D**

**As always, I love you all, and you guys are the people who put a smile on my face when I open my email and look at my inbox in the morning! :D**

**Have an awesome day! **


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Mark watched intently as Ash tried to wake up his older sister. He knew exactly what he was doing - he was trying to contact her through the soulmate link. Looking closely at Ash, Mark watched his face go from worried, to confused, to concentrated, to scared. All within a few minutes. Something was wrong - very wrong. As soon as Ash went in for the kiss, Mark knew that Ash was having trouble waking Mary-Lynette up. He probably couldn't even get her to listen to him or something. Or else he couldn't find her. Maybe she was so far gone that there was hardly anything left to find! Mark felt himself start breathing heavily until he was nearly panting due to the anxiety. As Ash's lips touched Mary-Lynette's, Mark suddenly realized what he was doing. His initial thought had been that Ash had given up and was kissing her goodbye. Then he realized that Ash would be sobbing if that was the case. No. He was strengthening their connection. Thinking back to being with Jade, Mark knew that when you and your soulmate kissed, it was the closest you could get to being like one mind without exchanging blood.

So he had been right - at least in one way - Ash was desperate. Desperate to save his sister by any means possible.

* * *

><p>Mary-Lynette wasn't aware of what was going on. All she could hear was a quiet voice. Where was it coming from? As the voice grew clearer, she began to recognize it. It was Ash! What was he saying though? Then it came to her. He was saying her name. As his voice grew louder, she could feel the silver cord stretched out between them. She started being able to make out words. Ash was telling her to wake up. But she didn't want to. She was happy in the blackness. It was comfortable. There was no pain, no suffering, and no heartbreak or loss. It was almost like being one with the night like she's always imagined. There was only one problem - no stars to light up this strange world.<p>

Ash's voice slowly became closer and stronger. She could feel his presence now. Who was he to invade her place? What gave him the right to enter her mind - the one place where she could truly be alone. Ash was talking again. It looked and sounded like he was - crying? Her Ash never cried. Why would he be crying now? She was happy here so why wouldn't he be happy for her. It suddenly dawned on her that he didn't know she was okay to stay in this dark world. Well, at least for now she was. Maybe she'd leave later. But for now she was free of the worries of her life.

Purposely keeping her thoughts shielded, Mary-Lynette tried pushing Ash away. He refused to leave. His thoughts pressed against hers, verging on becoming violent. He was determined to bring her back into the cruel world known as reality. Before she knew what was happening, her world suddenly exploded with bright lights. A multitude of colours suddenly surrounded her, penetrating her to her very soul. She knew immediately what it was - Ash. He was surrounding her, the silver cord taunt between them.

_Mary-Lynette, please come back?_

His request was irresistible to Mary-Lynette. As much as she wanted to stay in her world of darkness, she now could see that Ash was right. Her family needed her. She needed to go back. She still wasn't sure that she wanted to though. She felt a tug on the silver cord, and was suddenly being dragged upwards towards a speck of light growing above her. Mary-Lynette shut her eyes tightly as the light became too bright to bear. When she opened her eyes again, she was in her rom, looking into Ash's ghostly white eyes.

* * *

><p>As Mary-Lynette's' eyelids fluttered open, Mr. Carter let out a sigh of relief. Mary-Lynette was alright. His little girl was okay. The feeling of relief was short-lived however. The instant Mary-Lynette looked around and realized where she was, she burst into tears, throwing her arms around Ash's neck. Mr. Carter watched as Ash sat up so he held Mary-Lynette partially in his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around her. The other people present in the room simply looked upon the pair in shock. None of them could understand why Mary-Lynette would burst into tears. They hadn't seen her cry for almost a year. Only Mark was aware that her tears then had been caused by Ash.<p>

Ash held his soulmate tightly to his chest, not wanting to let her go. He had almost lost her today. She was ready to give up. He had to make sure she was okay.

_Mary-Lynette? You okay?_ He asked, knowing how dorky and cheesy it sounded, and not caring.

_Ya. I'm fine. Just - a lot of drama today is all. I don't tend to take drama well. Especially with my heart and all. _

_It's okay. I understand. Just promise me that you'll let me handle the stuff with my Mom. _

Mary-Lynette nodded into his chest, burying her face deeper into the soft fabric of his shirt.

_Just promise me that you'll never leave me again,_ she told him quietly.

_I swear I won't. _

They sat like that for a while, neither teenager wanting to let go. Mary-Lynette was too scared to leave the security of Ash's arms, and Ash preferred it that way. It allowed him to keep Mary-Lynette safe and protected in his arms. A throat being cleared finally caused Ash to pull away. Mary-Lynette tried clinging to him, not wanting to let go of her soulmate. Eventually she complied and loosened her death grip around Ash's neck. Looking at her parents, Mary-Lynette noticed that their faces were a mixture of worry and feeling awkward. She blushed lightly, realizing what they had just witnessed.

"Sorry…" she mumbled after a few moments of awkward silence.

"What happened?" her Dad asked cautiously.

"Um…" Mary-Lynette wasn't totally sure herself. How was she going to explain it to her father?

"I was over at Ash's house and I was walking down the stairs when my chest hurt really bad. The next thing I remember is Ash talking to me while I was unconscious." she explained; leaving out the parts about Ash's mother.

When she mentioned the pain in her chest, Ash tightened his arms around her. She was still seated on his lap, but somewhat sideways so she was facing her family.

"So I take it that exchanging blood didn't help then…" Mark trailed off into silence.

"No. It worked." Mary-Lynette protested, not wanting her family to give up hope. She looked up at Ash for help.

"Vampire blood takes a while to take effect. Like Rowan explained earlier, it will take a few exchanges. We just have to pray that Mary-Lynette's body will be strong enough…" he buried his face in her hair at the implication of her death.

Claudine and Mr. Carter allowed them to sit for a minute before standing up.

"Well Ash, thank you so much for your help," Mr. Carter began. "You should probably get going though. It's late and Mary-Lynette needs her rest. I'm sure you do too."

Mary-Lynette threw her arms around Ash's neck again at the mention of him leaving. Ash's arms tightened for a moment before he pulled away, revealing his light blue eyes.

"Mary-Ly-"

She shook her head, telling him to stop speaking.

"Bu-"

"Shhhh!" She put a hand over his mouth so he couldn't protest anymore.

Turning to her parents, Mary-Lynette began to plead her case.

"Dad? Claudine? Can Ash stay here tonight? Please? I swear nothing will happen. It's just that, if something happens in the night with my heart and all, I don't want to have to wake you."

"Honey," her father began in a serious tone. "Ash should really go home. You can wake one of us if you need to. You don't want to be waking up Ash anyways. He needs his sleep too."

Mary-Lynette was devastated. She needed Ash to stay here. If he wasn't here, she was scared that his mother would come and actually kill her this time.

Remembering Dahlia Redfern, Mary-Lynette felt a shot of fear go through her. She didn't know what had happened to her. Had she gone home? Had she been killed? Did she reach some sort of an agreement with her children? Did they run from her? Or worst of all, did she run? That would mean that she was looking for revenge and that no one would really know where she was.

_I picked you up and stormed out, actually._ Ash explained to her, sensing her panic.

That news didn't calm Mary-Lynette. Ash could pick up on her fear and tried calming her down.

_Mary-Lynette, it's okay. I'll be outside your house all night keeping guard, I swear._

_No! I don't want you out there. I want you in here with me!_

Ash sighed. His soulmate could be so damn stubborn sometimes!

"So, Dad, if we swear on out lives that nothing will happen, can Ash please stay here?" Mary-Lynette tried asking again.

Her father looked skeptical.

"Okay. You're hiding something. Tell me the real reason you want Ash to stay here, and then I'll consider it."

Great. How was she going to explain this to him?

* * *

><p>Ash looked from his soulmate to Mr. Carter and back again. He was trying to figure out what they were going to tell him. Obviously he couldn't know the truth. It would just endanger his life, not to mention his family's.<p>

"Do we mind if we speak to you alone, Mr. Carter?" Ash asked after considering the situation.

Mr. Cater nodded, and Claudine quietly shepherded Mark out of the room.

"So, I'd like this situation explained please." he asked; his voice harsh with annoyance at such a request as to allow his daughter's boyfriend to sleep there.

Mary-Lynette untangled herself from Ash's arms, wanting to look somewhat professional in order to convince her father to let him stay.

"Well, Ash's mother is sort of in town…" Mary-Lynette began. She hesitated though, no fully sure of what had happened. Thankfully Ash took over.

"My mother doesn't appreciate the fact that my soulmate is a human. She doesn't know about Mark or about you all, but if she did, she would surely kill you. She's already attempted killing Mary-Lynette once today, I'd prefer not to repeat that experience. The reason Mary-Lynette had passed out was actually her heart, but it was brought on by the anxiety. We were trying not to use the soulmate link, and the girls had escorted her upstairs so I could talk with my mother. Not knowing what was happening, Mary-Lynette snuck out and started coming down the stairs when she passed out. I then told my mother the truth about the two of us, picked up Mary-Lynette and stormed out of the house." He took in a deep breath to calm himself before he got too much angrier at his mother.

"So you see, even if you do not approve of me staying the night, I will still be patrolling the area around your home, as will my sisters."

Mr. Carter just nodded. He had always viewed life a simple - one-dimensional, so to speak. Never in his life could he have imagined things like vampires existed. And he never would have believed that one would be bent on killing his little girl! That thought caused him to make up his mind on the spot. Ash was staying. Anything to keep his little girl safe.

"Okay. You've convinced me." he announced once he had sorted through everything in his mind. "Just make sure there's no funny business, okay? I don't want to find myself as a grandfather."

Mary-Lynette and Ash both nodded fanatically, neither of them had even thought of doing such unspeakable deeds.

Trusting that they could be capable of coming up with their own sleeping arrangements, Mr. Carter left his daughter and her soulmate alone, bidding them a good night.

* * *

><p>As soon as Mr. Carter closed the door, Ash pulled Mary-Lynette in close for a hug. It felt good to hold her in his arms, and the pink haze surrounded them.<p>

"So, are you gonna tell me what happened then?" he asked quietly

Mary-Lynette nodded slightly into his chest.

"Well I was trying to get back to you, and the girls were trying to get me up the stairs, and I think they dropped me or something, because the next thing I knew, I was in your room."

Ash nodded, trying to get his soulmate to continue.

"Then- Then I heard this voice in my head."

"What kind of voice? What was it saying?"

"It said that -"

_That you don't actually love me, and that you didn't want to change me. It said you were going to leave me. _

Ash couldn't believe what Mary-Lynette was telling him. He knew exactly who the voice was - his mother. He was going to kill her. He made a note to yell at his sisters for dropping Mary-Lynette as well.

"Don't ever doubt my love for you," he murmured in her ear. "Of course I want to change you as long as it's what you want, and I'm not about to leave you. I've already been there and done that, and it's not a place I want to go again." His lips tickled her ears as they brushed against them.

"I know…." She was silenced with a soft kiss.

_Then what happened? _Ash asked after he finished kissing her.

_Well, after a while I heard a thump, so after Rowan came down to check on you, I snuck out of the room and started going down the stairs when my chest started hurting. The next thing I knew, you were talking to me when I was unconscious. _

Ash hugged Mary-Lynette closer, shielding his thoughts as he worried about her and her disease. He had to be sure to change her before her body got too weak.

"I heard that, you know." Mary-Lynette answered aloud.

"Sorry. I didn't mean for you to be able to."

"It's okay. Maybe we should get some sleep though. It's been a long day."

Ash nodded, and Mary-Lynette proceeded to lie down. She was too tired to change into pyjamas, and Ash didn't have any with him. Moving over, Mary-Lynette patted the bed, inviting Ash to lie down. When he did, she curled up to his side, resting her head on his shoulder. She snuggled up close, and Ash rested his head on hers.

It was nice, laying there. Their thoughts were flowing freely between them, and both enjoyed being surrounded by the colours of the other's mind. Mary-Lynette soon drifted off to sleep, comfortable against her soulmate. As long as he was there, she knew she would always be safe.

Ash didn't drift off as easily. He was restless. His mother was still so close, and she was bent on killing Mary-Lynette. He couldn't let that happen. She probably would take her story straight to the Night World authorities. Currently, Circle Daybreak was the only group of Night Worlders who accepted humans as equals. If he and Mary-Lynette could make it there before his mother caught them, they could be safe!

Ash gently shook Mary-Lynette's shoulder, trying to wake her.

"Mm…" Mary-Lynette shook her head, not wanting to be woken.

Ash shook her again, this time calling to her mentally. _Mary-Lynette. C'mon love; wake up._

"What?" She said, irritated at her soulmate for waking her up.

"Come on. We're leaving."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So what did you think? Kind of full of this so called "fluff" and lots of descriptions. I figured it was necessary in order to build up the plot more. :) So I'm sorry it's so long as well... I kind of got carried away...**

**As always, thank you to my wonderful reviewers! I meant to put the little shout-outs at the beginning, but it didn't seem to want to work... Nevertheless, here they are:**

**Night-Alice: Haha Thank you very much! And your surprise comes next chapter. :)**

**musicbaby2013: Why thank you! And yes, I missed her greatly. Hopefully they keep accepting Ash after this... And cliches are fun to write. :D**

**House of Night is Ballar: Hooray! I'm glad you're back to reading Night World fanfics, and it makes me happy to know I helped influence you to do so**

**Well, I'll stop now before this chapter becomes any longer.**

**Don't forget to review, please!**

**Happy Writing!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to Night-Alice for her support and spectacular ideas! This chapter probably wouldn't be what it is without you! :D**

* * *

><p>Mary-Lynette was in a state of disbelief. Surely she couldn't have heard her soulmate correctly. Did he just say they were leaving? When? Why?<p>

_Ash, what's going on? _she asked sleepily, reaching out to touch his mind. He was already standing by her window. Wait. Window? Why the window?

Ash stepped away from his position, and strode towards her silently.

_I can't have you this close to my mother. I just can't. I'm scared something bad is going to happen to you if you are. We need to leave. Before she finds me. EIther that, or lead her away from here. Away from your family. _

Mary-Lynette was confused. Her soulmate was talking nonsense. Leave? Why? His mother wouldn't hurt her while Ash was around, would she? She couldn't be sure. Maybe Ash was right. Maybe leaving was the best option. But what about her family?

_What if she goes after my family after we leave? _

_My sisters will make sure that it doesn't happen. Jade will protect Mark with her life, and I'm sure she'll do the same for your father and Claudine. _

_But how can you be sure? _

Ash sat down on the bed beside Mary-Lynette and put his hands on either side of her face, holding her still so he could gaze into her deeply beautiful eyes.

_Mary-Lynette, my one and only, would I tell you something that would only hurt you in the end? I don't think so. Please just trust me. This is the only way I can make sure that you're safe. _

Mary-Lynette shook her head angrily, despite Ash's hands. He let them fall.

_What? _

_I can't do this, Ash. You can go, but I'm staying here. With my family. Where I belong._

Mary-Lynette could not believe she had just told her soulmate to leave - again. He had only been back for a few days. She wouldn't be able to bear not being with him.

_I know you don't mean that. _Ash interrupted her thoughts.

_I'm sorry. I don't want you to leave. But Ash, you have to understand. Family sticks together._

_Ya? Well I'm your family now too! _Ash was almost yelling now. _All I wanna do is keep you safe! Is that too hard to ask?_

_Y'know Ash, it just might be. _Mary-Lynette was close to tears. She was torn between her soulmate and her family. She quickly made up her mind though.

_Ash, I'm staying here._

Ash just looked at Mary-Lynette with sad eyes. They were a dark grey, and they seemed to pierce her soul like a shard of glass. She felt her heart break. She couldn't bear to see him so sad.

_Ash- _she began.

He just shook his head.

_No, I see how this is. I really didn't want it to come to this you know. I really was hoping you would just come with me. But know. My soulmate has to be just as stubborn as I am. Figures. I'm not letting you die Mary-Lynette. You're coming with me whether you like it or not._

Mary-Lynette was frightened. He soulmate's voice was silky and seductive and dangerous. She had never heard it in such a combination before. She was stiff with fear as his piercing eyes penetrated her soul once more. This time though, they were angry and determined.

Before she could figure out what was going on, Ash had picked her up, keeping one hand firmly over her mouth. He headed towards the window, and stepped outside onto the dark, cold roof.

* * *

><p>Soulmate in his arms, Ash stood for a moment on the roof. The cold wind whipped Mary-Lynette's hair to one side, and bit skin like frost. Keeping his hand over Mary-Lynette's mouth so she couldn't scream, Ash held her close. He was going to save her. One way or another. She was going to live. Nothing would be able to keep them apart. Not his mother; not a disease; nothing. He was going to save his soulmate if it was the last thing he did.<p>

As he stood there thinking, Mary-Lynette managed to subtly remove his hand from her mouth.

"Ash-" she said quietly before his hand flinched, cutting her off. At her look of disapproval mixed with sorrow, Ash quickly moved his hand away from her mouth.

"Could you put me down, please?" The please was forced sounding. Almost like she was struggling to not scream at him.

Ash hesitated. If he put her down, she might run. Then what would he do? Chase her obviously. But what if she got hurt? The roof was short and somewhat steep. Not the safest place in the world. Add the wind to that and you had a disaster waiting to happen.

"Please?" The way she looked at him; those eyes were so filled with sorrow and despair that he couldn't say no. Taking her hand, Ash gently placed Mary-Lynette on the roof beside him.

"What." his voice was colder than the blowing wind.

"You know we can't leave." Ash started to protest, and she placed a hand over his mouth, signalling for him to be quiet. "Like I was saying before, if we leave, my family will be in danger. At least let them come with us."

The way Mary-Lynette looked at Ash just then nearly broke his heart. Her eyes alone were filled with so much sorrow that a whale could have drowned in it. Tears were welling up within them, threatening to spill over any moment. Her whole body showed her despair. Deep inside, she knew that no matter what she did or said, Ash would get his way. He always had and always would. From stories she had heard, living on the island he had been able to get anything he wanted. In fact, the Redfern family was more or less like royalty there! So whether she liked it or not, Mary-Lynette knew that she'd probably be leaving Briar Creek that night. The only question was whether she'd get to bring her family or not.

Looking down at his soulmate, Ash realized that she had a slight point. He mentally shook himself. He couldn't afford to lose her! Taking Mary-Lynette's family would mean more people to essentially smuggle to Las Vegas. More people who would disappear from Briar Creek without explanation. More chances of getting caught. More chances of his Mary-Lynette dying. He couldn't risk it.

"Mary-Lynette," he started, "I don't think we can bring them with us. If we have too many people, it will be harder to sneak away without my mother catching us."

Mary-Lynette just looked more depressed than before. "We have to though!" she pleaded desperately.

"I know you believe that our fates lie in the stars, but sometimes we have to take fate into our own hands. For example, instead of letting "fate" take your life, I'm changing you and I'm going to get you to Circle Daybreak so my mother can't harm you."

She looked at him doubtfully. "Really? Well then, I say we take fate into our own hands and bring my family too!"

Ash was defeated. He couldn't refuse his soulmate. Still, he would rather not have to bring along three extra people. Humans even! Granted, Mary-Lynette was human, but that was different. She was him soulmate.

"Well what's your brilliant plan to get them out of here then?"

"Ummmm…" Mary-Lynette was at a loss for words.

"That would be what I thought."

Mary-Lynette looked down sullenly. As the wind picked up, she gave a slight shiver. Ash's expression immediately softened. Putting his arm around her waist, he pulled her closed.

"How about we discuss it in the morning?" He suggested. As much as it hurt him to say it, he knew that giving Mary-Lynette another day to think things through would help her realize the logic behind running away. As much as he wanted to just take her and run, he didn't want to force her to leave her family.

Mary-Lynette rested her head against her cat-like soulmate's chest, breathing in his warm scent. Her hands on his chest as well, she began to cry softly. Sliding her arms up, she wrapped them around Ash's neck. His arms snaked around her waist, tightening to pull her closer yet. As she sobbed silently into his chest, Ash buried his face in the crook of her neck. Slowly, he found tears forming in his eyes. He couldn't bear losing Mary-Lynette. He just couldn't. It would kill him inside. Pulling away, Mary-Lynette looked up at Ash.

"Are you - crying?" she asked, wiping the tears from his cheeks.

He simply nodded, looking slightly ashamed. Mary-Lynette threw her arms around his neck again, pulling him close. He kissed the top of her head, thankful that he had her near him. He had missed her so much while he was away. There were times when he almost gave back and got down on his knees to beg for her forgiveness. Nevertheless, he had barely made it through. All that mattered now was that they were together.

Pulling away again, Ash kissed Mary-Lynette's forehead. Then he kissed the tip of her nose. Finally, he touched his lips to hers. When they separated, Mary-Lynette looked directly into Ash's eyes.

"So does this mean we're staying?"

"This means we'll talk about it in the morning."

With that, Ash pulled Mary-Lynette back inside her room, closing the window behind them.

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><p><strong>AN: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Once again, thanks to Night-Alice for giving me ideas for this chapter :) **

**Special thanks to:**

**mj-a4evaxx: Thank you! Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)**

**smilinggalxoxo: Awww thanks! I hope this holds you over until the next chapter**

**Night-Alice: Haha that's good. Hope you liked chapter 15**

**Rose: Haha Probably not! It's a good thing they didn't get caught! **

**Please keep reviewing! They inspire me and put a smile on my face when I find them! **

**So what was your favourite part? Your least favourite? I'm not overly great at writing relationship/romantic-type stuff as I have never really done any of it, so let me know how I did. Any thoughts in general? Criticism is welcome.**

**Happy Writing!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Rowan was lying on the couch, unable to sleep. She was constantly listening to make sure she couldn't hear her mother. After the confrontation earlier, her mother had insisted upon having a room to sleep in. Rowan was the only girl who would give up her room. Her sisters wouldn't even let her sleep in their rooms. So there she was, on the couch, unable to sleep. As soon as Ash and Mary-Lynette left, Dahlia went into a rampage. She stormed around the house screaming curses at the top of her lungs, infuriated with her son's escape. Of course, she could have followed him, but that wasn't her style. She would wait and lull him into thinking that she had given up. Then, once he was comfortable, she would strike. Just like a snake lying in the grass, the more patient you are, the better chances of successfully catching your prey.

(page break)

Mary-Lynette woke up to a bright light streaming through her window. Looking beside her, she saw Ash lying there, looking so peaceful as he slept. Remembering the conversation on the roof, she felt a pang of sorrow in her heart, which felt like it was completely out of her body. Her chest felt hollow at the thought of leaving her family behind while a crazed vampire was there. She trusted her blood sisters and all. It was just that she would rather not be states away from her family at the moment.

Watching Ash sleep, Mary-Lynette could remember clearly why she had thought of a cat the first time she had seen him. His face was intelligent looking - despite her beliefs that he was an idiot during their first few meetings - and his posture, even while he was sleeping, resembled that of a large cat. Come to think of it, Mary-Lynette was kind of surprised that he was a vampire and not a shapeshifter or something. As she watched, she couldn't help stroking his ash blonde hair. It was just so soft! One hand on his head, her other hand stroked the side of his face. She was completely in love with him. If she had been told two years ago, that she would meet a boy like this and fall head-over-heels in love with him in a matter of weeks, she would have laughed at them. Yet here she was.

Suddenly, Ash stirred beneath her hands.

"Morning sleepyhead." she teased.

Ash simply moaned, pulling her closer so he could give her a quick peck on the lips.

"I believe we have business to discuss," he informed her.

"Yes, but we can have breakfast first. Then we will discuss things. Oh and my parents will be joining us." she added with a taunting smile. Ash just sighed and headed towards the door.

Once they were freshened up, the two teenagers headed down the narrow staircase to the kitchen. Mr. Carter, Claudine, and Mark were sitting at the table eating breakfast.

"Morning you two." Claudine said with a smile. "Have a seat and eat some pancakes."

Both obliged and quickly filled their plates with the golden-brown pancakes.

"Hey Dad," Mary-Lynette began between mouthfuls, "Ash and I were wondering if we could have a word with you after breakfast."

"Sure. What about?"

"Um, we'd prefer to talk to you about it in private," Ash supplied, seeing Mary-Lynette hesitate.

_You okay? I thought this is what you wanted?_

_Ya. I did. I do. But I just don't know how to explain to him._

_Don't worry. I'll help. _

Ash flashed Mary-Lynette a dazzling smile as Mark gave them a knowing glance, aware that they were using the soulmate link to communicate.

"Why can't I hear too?" he asked, still not fully trusting Ash after he left his sister. Granted, Mary-Lynette had asked him to leave, but he didn't trust the older blonde boy.

"Mark, please just let us talk to Dad alone. You'll know soon enough." Mary-Lynette wanted to tell her brother what was going on, but she knew he would run straight to Jade. They couldn't have that. Then Dahlia would know about him for sure. Then he would be a target. In her mind, she felt Ash agree with her.

Finishing up their breakfast in silence, Mr. Carter led his daughter and her soulmate into the living room while Claudine and Mark cleaned up.

"Do you figure we could talk somewhere more - private?" Ash inquired.

Mr. Carter nodded, and Mary-Lynette suggested going up to her room. The two men agreed and they all hastened up the staircase, closing the door behind them when they entered the room.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well, we need to leave." Ash replied bluntly. "As soon as possible."

(page break)

Mr. Cater was shocked. What did he mean? Leave? Now? Why?

"Wh-Wh-What are you talking about?"

"Last night we told you that my mother was in town. Well, I don't want her near Mary-Lynette. I stayed here last night for Mary-Lynette's safety. However, I'm afraid that won't be enough. Sooner or later, Mary-Lynette will be left alone, and then my mother will strike. She'll take Mary-Lynette. Torture her most likely. Make her suffer for us being soulmates. Essentially she'll use Mary-Lynette to get to me. I can't let that happen. The only way for her to be safe is for us to go."

"Where are you going?" Mr. Carter was at a loss for words. This blonde boy was going to take his daughter away from him!

"There's an organization in the Night World called Circle Daybreak. They believe that the Night World should be able to live in harmony with humans. I'm part of this organization. If we go to the headquarters, they'll be able to protect Mary-Lynette."

Mr. Carter nodded. He understood now. Ash was trying to protect Mary-Lynette. Still. He'd rather keep her nearby.

_Ash, I'm telling him my idea._

"Dad, are you okay?" Mary-Lynette inquired. When he nodded, she continued.

"I have an idea of my own, so you know. I want you and Claudine and Mark to come with us. At least this way I know for sure you're safe. Mark might not be crazy about leaving Jade, but he'll understand. Especially seeing as how he's in as much danger as me if Dahlia finds out about them. So whaddaya say? Do you wanna come to Vegas?"

"Well…" Mr. Carter wasn't entirely sure what to think. It sounded like his daughter was going for sure. "So, you're going then?"

"I don't really figure I have much of a choice. I'm pretty sure Ash would kidnap me and bring me there if I didn't go peacefully." She shot a glare at her soulmate, who put up his hands in surrender.

"So the only question is whether you want to take a little trip. It'll keep you guys safe. If something happened to you guys because of me-" she was cut off by her father embracing her warmly.

"Of course we're coming. We'd be worried sick about you otherwise. Plus, if Ash seems to think it necessary, we might as well. After all, he would know his mother best."

Mary-Lynette pulled back and smiled widely at her father.

"Hate to break this up, but you might want to get packing. Don't let anyone know that you're going anywhere. Just go through your day like normal. Tell Claudine and Mark the same, please." Ash was practical and business-like about the whole ordeal. All that mattered to him was getting Mary-Lynette and her family to Circle Daybreak.

Anxious to tell his wife and son what was going on, Mr. Carter headed towards the door of his daughter's room.

"Aren't you guys coming?" he asked, not really wanting to explain everything to his family on his own.

"I was hoping to talk with Mary-Lynette for a little bit, if you don't mind. If it helps, just tell them to pack for warm weather, but don't explain what's going on. We'll handle that on the drive there." Ash shot Mr. Carter a small smile. "Oh! One more thing. Make sure Mark knows that he can't tell anyone. In fact, make sure he doesn't even think about it. Tell him to shield his thoughts just in case Jade is listening in."

With a nod, Mr. Cater left the room, closely the door behind him.

(page break)

Once the door was closed, Mary-Lynette turned to her soulmate, fear in her eyes. Ash immediately rushed towards her, placing his hands on her shoulder as he tried catching her gaze.

_What's wrong_?

"What are we doing? What if she finds us? What if she comes before we leave?"

Ash listened to her worries, letting her speak her mind. When she was finished, he reached out with his mind.

_Mary-Lynette. Listen to me. She's not going to lay another hand on you. Don't worry so much. Everything will go as planned. _

Still looking doubtful, Mary-Lynette nodded as Ash led her towards the door of her bedroom.

Before they could reach the door, however, it swung open, revealing a very angry looking boy.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, Mary-Lynette got her way after all.**

**Thanks to:**

**Night-Alice: No, that's considered evil! Well no complaining, because this is my second update today :p hope you liked it**

**pepppa12: Thanks! And I'm feeling like writing today, so hopefully there's more to come! :)**

**Sorry if the update came before you read the chapter before. Gotta be faster if you want a shout-out! LoL Just kidding. I'll probably add it in as they come!**

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**Happy Writing!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Mark was fuming. "What the hell is wrong with you people?" he screamed.

"Mark, calm down." Mary-Lynette instructed her younger brother. "The whole neighbourhood will be able to hear you! We have to keep things quiet. Please?"

Her brother stared at her as he took a step forwards. Mary-Lynette glared, taking a step towards her brother. Ash stepped between the two siblings, not wanting them to start fighting.

"Mark, listen," he started. "This is only to protect you!"

"Ya but what about Jade?" he countered. "You don't care about her, do you? There was a reason your sisters were scared of you when you showed up last summer! You can't be trusted! You've left them behind before! You're doing the same thing again!"

Ash shook his head. " Mark, you don't understand. That was different. I was different. I'm positive that Jade would prefer to be separated from you temporarily rather than permanently."

Seeing the tension, Mary-Lynette stepped in between the two boys. "Mark, you've gotta agree that he's got a point. I don't want to leave either, but it's our only choice."

"But I still don't understand what this apparent danger is!"

That's when Mary-Lynette realized that Mark was just being dragged away from his home without being told why.

"Mark, we'll explain on the drive. Okay? I swear we will explain what's going on as soon as we're safe. Please go pack? We don't know how long we're going to be there for, so be sure you have everything you might want."

Mark sighed dejectedly. He didn't like this. However, who was he to argue? Being careful to keep his mind shielded, he walked to his room and started filling a bag with clothes.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, the family SUV was packed, and the sun was setting. The Carter family were in their rooms getting some sleep before they started their long drive. Mary-Lynette and Ash sat in her room, neither speaking. The silence was eerie. Slowly, Ash began to speak.<p>

"Mary-Lynette, I was thinking that before we leave, it might be smart to exchange blood again. It would make you stronger just in case. And we might not get another chance for a few days or so."

Mary-Lynette nodded, seeing the logic in what her soulmate was saying. As they were already seated on the bed, Mary-Lynette figured it would be pointless to move. Ash leaned in close, keeping eye contact with her for as long as possible before his needle-sharp teeth pierced her skin. Their minds came together, blending into one, as Ash began to drink. Warmth radiated from his mouth, and Mary-Lynette felt truly safe for the first time that day.

_Why haven't you felt safe? _Ash prodded, his colourful mind surrounding her.

_I dunno… It's just stupid. I just feel as though I won't feel totally safe until we're out of Briar Creek._

_Don't worry. We'll wake up your family as soon as we're done, and then we'll be gone. Let's just not worry right now._

_Okay. By the way Ash, I love you._

_I love you too._

As Ash pulled away, Mary-Lynette stole a kiss quickly. He smiled slightly as he took an unsharpened pencil from the nightstand and made a cut at the base of his neck. Mary-Lynette placed her mouth on his skin, and began drinking the blood. As usual, it tasted old and magical.

_Okay, I see your point from last night. I guess sometimes we have to take fate into our own hands. Like this, for example. _

She felt Ash smile mentally as he tightened his arms around her. She allowed herself to fall into his mind, and for a few moments she was content to just be held in her soulmate's arms, forgetting about all her present troubles.

Ash had to pull her head from his neck. She had drank enough blood for the night. She glanced up sheepishly, wiping her mouth to be sure there was no blood on it. She didn't want to frighten her family when they woke them up. They were freaked out enough without knowing that their daughter had just exchanged blood with a vampire again.

As Ash caught her eyes, he bent down and kissed her softly on the lips. She melted into the kiss. When it was done, Ash stood up. He held out his hands and pulled Mary-Lynette up off the bed, pulling her into a tight embrace. Finally, they walked hand-in-hand out of the room, only pausing long enough for Ash to pick up Mary-Lynette's backpack off the ground and swing it over one shoulder. Together, they went to wake the rest of the Carter household.

* * *

><p>Everyone in the vehicle, they were almost ready to pull out of the garage. Mr. Carter and Claudine sat in the front, with Mark, Mary-Lynette and Ash in the back. Mary-Lynette sat in the middle as a sort of moderator between the two boys, who didn't see eye to eye very often. The back of the SUV was full of bags and boxes. The Carters had packed everything they could manage - books, clothes, and everything they might need in the next two months. It had been agreed upon that Mr. Carter would drive first until he was tired, then Ash would take over. This way people simply believed that they were taking an unannounced vacation if they were caught leaving. Later on, Ash would be able to drive them to Vegas as he knew the route much better. They would drive in shifts until they reached Las Vegas and Lord Thierry's mansion.<p>

There wasn't much room in the back seat of the SUV, and Mark liked his personal space. Not wanting to start a fight, Mary-Lynette sat closer to Ash, who put an arm around his soulmate, pulling her close.

_Go to sleep, _he told her. _You need your rest. Plus, the blood exchange will probably make you tired. You might as well sleep now before it's my turn to drive. You'll be getting shotgun, y'know. _

She just smiled, resting her head on Ash's shoulder. She closed her eyes, meaning to just rest them. Within moments, she was fast asleep.

Claudine smiled as she looked back and saw all three teenagers fast asleep. Mark was using his sister as a pillow. Mary-Lynette was leaning on Ash, and Ash had his head laying on top of Mary-Lynette's, arm wrapped around her shoulder. It was so adorable, she couldn't believe that one was a vampire, one was on her way to becoming a vampire, and the other was in love with a vampire. That resulted in a high probability that he would become a vampire too. Claudine sighed. She hadn't imagined that vampires could exist, let alone that she would be on the run from one. Nevertheless, Ash seemed to be a decent boy. After all, he was saving them from his mother, wasn't he? Well, if Mary-Lynette loved him, she could like him for her sake. Jade was a good girl too. It was really a pity that she couldn't come with them. Oh well. Mary-Lynette certainly seemed happier these past few days. Turning her attention back to the front, Claudia silently thanked the stars that her two step-children had both found someone to love indefinitely.

* * *

><p>Mary-Lynette woke up to someone gently shaking her shoulder. As she opened her eyes, she found Mark waking her up. Ash and her parents were nowhere to be seen. Looking around, she recognized the general layout of a gas station surrounding them.<p>

"Where is everyone?" she asked sleepily.

"Well, they're inside paying for gas and picking up some snacks and stuff. They're still in there if you wanna go in." Mark informed her. Mary-Lynette nodded, then exited the car, still feeling half asleep. She groggily made her way towards the bright lights of the building and pushed open the door. She quickly made her way towards a bathroom to freshen up, and came out slightly less sleepy thanks to some cold water. Glancing around the building, she saw her parents and made her way over to them.

"Hey." she mumbled, letting them know she was there.

"Mary-Lynette!" they seemed shocked to see her.

"Just figured I'd freshen up a bit and grab something to snack on." she explained. "Where's Ash? He wasn't in the vehicle."

"He went… Ummmm….. Behind the gas station for a while…" her Dad seemed unsure of exactly why Ash was behind the gas station. Mary-Lynette understood though. He probably was hunting.

Not worrying too much about her soulmate, Mary-Lynette wandered through the small store, picking out a few things - some pop to keep her awake, some chips, cookies, and even some beef jerky. Heading back towards her parents, she doubled back to grab another pop and some other snacks to be sure there'd be enough for both her and Ash to share. Meeting her parents at the cash register, the bored-looking clerk checked them out. They headed back to the SUV, where Ash was already waiting in the driver's seat. Staring slightly, Mr. Carter and Claudine climbed into the back seat, allowing Mary-Lynette to sit up front with Ash. They needed their sleep and preferred Mary-Lynette to be in the front seat so she could keep Ash from nodding off.

As he started the engine, Ash leaned over and gave Mary-Lynette a quick peck on the lips. A jolt of electricity traveled through her, waking her up.

_Well that's one way to make sure I'm awake. _she joked.

With that, they pulled off into the night once more.

* * *

><p>With her enhanced senses, Mary-Lynette was glad that there were not many cars travelling the opposite direction as them. Each time a car approached, she had to cover her eyes with her hands to keep the light from penetrating them. It was just so bright! Ash looked over sympathetically after the tenth car had passed them.<p>

_I wish I knew a way to help you…. You'll get used to it once you're a vampire. The light is a lot worse when you're just starting to go through the change. _

Mary-Lynette just nodded. They had agreed to speak using the soulmate bond as much as possible so they didn't wake their sleeping passengers.

_So, tell me more about Circle Daybreak. _Mary-Lynette was curious. She wanted to know what she was walking into before she got there.

_Well, they're basically an organization who believe that the Night World and humans can co-exist in peace. Lots of the members - or at least the one's you're going to meet - have soulmates of their own. The leader, Thierry Descoudres, has a soulmate too. I'd tell you more about them, but they'll probably want to tell you their stories themselves. Anyways, there's this thing about what we call Wild Powers. There was a prophecy about them and it's a huge race to find them. Essentially what's happening is that there is a huge disagreement between Circle Daybreak and the rest of the Night World about humans. In order to defeat those who still wish to treat humans as inferiors and to use them as slaves, four people known as Wild Powers are needed. Wild Powers are extremely strong. So far, we've found three. The fourth one is still out there somewhere._

Mary-Lynette was surprised. She hadn't expected to be caught up in the middle of a war. She hoped that Ash was right and that these people would be willing to help her! They just sounded so - busy.

_Ya, they are. _Ash told her, hearing her thoughts. _But they'll be thrilled to finally meet you, and they'll be more than willing to help; especially once they learn about your circumstances. _

Though she would never admit it out loud or to anyone except Ash, Mary-Lynette was frightened. How was she supposed to walk into a room full of people she didn't know and expect them to protect her? What if they didn't think she was worth protecting? What if they didn't think she was good enough for Ash? It was more nerve-wracking than making her valedictorian speech in front of her class.

_Mary-Lynette, don't worry so much. _Ash said, taking one hand off the wheel to caress her cheek. Gazing into her eyes, he spoke again. _They'll love you almost as much as I do! _

She giggled at her soulmate and blushed. Suddenly a voice from the back made her jump.

"Hey! Hands on the wheel!"

Typical Mark.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yet another chapter is finally finished! Holy wow! I've written two chapters today already! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry if you find it kind of boring, but we'll be getting back into the action once again.**

**No reviews from the last chapter yet, so I'll be expecting you all to submit lots for this chapter! All you gotta do is push the little button and type a few words to make my day. :)**

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	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

After a few hours of travelling, everyone in the vehicle was wide awake. The sun was just beginning to rise to their left as they travelled south to Nevada. Ash still drove and would likely continue to drive until they reached Las Vegas. Since he knew the way, it was easier than him having to instruct Mr. Carter.

"So why exactly are we travelling to Vegas? I believe you promised us an explanation." Mr. Carter was annoyed. He was sitting in the back seat of a cramped SUV being more or less kidnapped.

"And you, sir, would be completely correct." Ash replied, looking at the man in the rearview mirror.

"You see, my mother is in town. She doesn't approve of me and Mary-Lynette being together or of my sisters living out here among humans. She essentially attacked Mary-Lynette, my sisters, and I when we found her in our home. After we escaped, we went to your house and that's why I stayed the night. I wanted to protect Mary-Lynette from her. During the night, I tried convincing Mary-Lynette to run away with me to Vegas where she could be protected by an organization known as Circle Daybreak. They want harmony between the Night World and humans, and many members also have soulmates. She refused, not wanting to leave you all in danger. So, here we are. Travelling to Las Vegas so you can be protected from my mother who is sure to follow us."

The two humans who had not heard this story looked upon Ash in shock. His blunt delivery of what was going on surprised them, as they had expected him to be more reluctant to share what was going on.

Looking at Mark in the rearview mirror, Ash added "Mark, that's why you couldn't tell Jade we were leaving. She's distracting our mother so we could escape."

"You mean Jade is in danger?" Mark suddenly screamed, causing his family to cover their ears in pain.

"Mark. Calm down." Mary-Lynette soothed. "Jade will be fine. Plus, you'd be able to feel if anything was wrong with her."

Seeing the logic, Mark slowly calmed down, though he remained anxious. All the while, he was frightened that something would happen to his Jade. And if it did, he knew exactly who to blame - Ash. It was Ash's fault that she was back there lying to her mother to protect them. Ash's fault that Jade wasn't in on the plan. If she was tortured for information, Ash would regret every minute of it. Mark would see to that.

* * *

><p>After what seemed like forever, Mary-Lynette could finally make out large buildings in the distance. No one else seemed to notice them though.<p>

_Vampire sight, remember? _Ash reminded her.

_We're almost there. Don't worry. _Ash could sense that Mary-Lynette was anxious. He didn't even need the soulmate link to do so. She was practically quivering in her seat.

_Mary-Lynette. Calm down. Everything's gonna be fine. Trust me. _

_I do. _

_Good._

Ash re-focused on the road ahead of him, taking care not to go too far over the speed limit. As much as he wanted to get there quickly, he had to remember that there were other people in the car who probably wouldn't appreciate the sudden accelerated speed.

Eventually, the famous "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas' sign came into view. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief except Mary-Lynette. She took in a shaky breath and held it.

_Breath, love._

_I can't. I'm scared._

_Mary-Lynette Carter, do you think that I would let anything bad happen to you?_

_No._

_Then why are you scared?_

_It's stupid._

_No it's not. Please tell me?_

_What - What if they don't like me?_

Ash laughed out loud, causing him to receive strange looks until Mark muttered something about it being a soulmate thing.

_Sorry. I shouldn't have laughed. It's just that it's so absurd! Of course they'll like you! I thought we went through this already._

_We did. It's just that I can't get it out of my head._

_Well don't worry, love. It'll all be alright. I promise._

_M'kay. _

Mary-Lynette took the time which Ash's silence gave her to look around at the humongous buildings surrounding her. It was getting dark again and the lights were just starting to come on. Everything was just so huge! She couldn't believe it! Suddenly Ash turned off The Strip, taking a winding road up a slight incline. Mary-Lynette looked anxiously ahead. Suddenly a large building came into view. However, their path to it was blocked by a gate. It looked like one which appeared in old horror films - large and creaky with spikes across the top. Ash spoke into a little speaker, and the gate suddenly swung open. Ash drove through slowly, feeling glad to see the gate close behind them. His Mary-Lynette was now officially protected.

* * *

><p>As they pulled up in front of the mansion, Mr. Carter looked up in awe. This was Circle Daybreak's headquarters?<p>

"Oh, just so you know," Ash began. "Las Vegas is a Night World city."

Mr. Carter thought he had heard Ash wrong.

"A what?"

"A Night World City. Basically it's run by the Night World. That means you probably won't want to go do much exploring."

The adults simply nodded.

Hopping out of the car, Ash walked around to where Mary-Lynette was sitting. He opened the door, taking her hand.

"You ready?"

She simply nodded, too frightened to speak.

"Let's go then!" Ash exclaimed. "Don't worry about you stuff," he added. "Someone will bring it to your rooms for you."

Helping Mary-Lynette from the car, Ash wrapped an arm around her waist and led her to the front door. Making sure that the Carters were following, he opened the front door and they entered a large marble foyer.

"Ash!"

Mary-Lynette swallowed. It had begun.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry this chapter is so short. It's getting late and I just felt that I needed to post one more chapter before getting some shut-eye. Hopefully it's alright.**

**Thanks to:**

**alissarhode: Haha I've just been feeling inspired to write today, I guess. Your review made me so happy! It's awesome to know that people are reading and enjoying my story :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**Well don't forget to review! Maybe I'll feel inspired to write a bunch really fast again if you do!**

**Happy Writing!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Mary-Lynette stood in awe. She was just taking in her surroundings when a feminine voice called out Ash's name, alarming her. Spinning towards an archway, Mary-Lynette saw a smaller girl with coppery curls and bright green eyes. She skipped over to where they stood, smiling brightly.

"So, are you gonna introduce me?" she asked Ash.

"Um, Poppy, this is Mary-Lynette, Mark, Claudine, and Mr. Carter. You guys, this is Poppy North, my cousin's soulmate."

"Hi!" she said brightly. The Carter family simply waved, somewhat frightened by the excited-looking girl standing in front of them.

"Jamie!" she called over her shoulder. "Ash is back! We weren't expecting you back so soon. At least you called ahead this time" she told them, rolling her eyes at Ash.

"Ya, well some things came up. Do you figure you could show them to their rooms? We've been travelling a long time and they probably need some rest." Ash delegated. The girl nodded, and started walking towards the spiral staircase.

"Are you coming or what?"

Mary-Lynette looked up at Ash, unsure whether she should follow the copper-haired girl or not. When Ash nodded and pushed her gently forwards, she walked with a straight back towards the girl, trying her best to look somewhat confident.

As they walked up the staircase, Mary-Lynette caught a glimpse of Ash greeting a black-haired boy who was likely James. He was then led off into a side room. Poppy showed Mr. Carter and Claudine their room, and was just coming out of Mark's room when Mary-Lynette found the courage to speak up.

"So are you a vampire?"

Poppy looked somewhat surprised at the question. She hadn't been expecting Mary-Lynette to speak to anyone but her family at the moment.

"Yes, I am. I used to be human though."

Mary-Lynette nodded. "Why'd you become a vampire then?"

"Well I was sick. I had cancer and was gonna die. Then James - my soulmate - told me that he was a vampire. He offered to change me and I agreed. My twin brother found out and tried to stop us, but Jamie convinced him to let me get changed. And so here I am today!"

Mary-Lynette was shocked. So she wasn't the only person going through this all.

"So how'd you find out you were soulmates?"

"Well, Jamie and I have been best friends forever, and then I dunno. Something just clicked. And after he rescued me from Vegas…"

"Why'd you need to be rescued?" Mary-Lynette knew there was something to this story. It called to her, and she needed to know more, not realizing Poppy might think her rude for interrogating her.

"Well, Ash found out about me and told me that as long as I was around, Jamie wasn't safe. So I left with him and he took me to Vegas and tried to seduce me before handing me over to the Night World Authorities." she explained bluntly.

"_Ash _did what?" Mary-Lynette half-shrieked, infuriated.

"Oh. Shoot! I forgot! Mary-Lynette, you have to understand that Ash was a different person back then."

"Like hell he was!"

"He's changed. Please forget everything I said. I'm sorry! It was stupid of me!"

"No. It's okay. I'm glad you told me. I think I have a right to know that Ash tried seducing his cousin's soulmate!" Mary-Lynette was yelling now. Poppy tried calming her down lest the entire household come investigating.

"Here's your room." Poppy said finally, letting out a sigh of relief once Mary-Lynette closed the door. Yep. She was definitely Ash's soulmate alright - loud, jealous, and ungrateful. A perfect match.

* * *

><p>Ash was talking with the other people at Circle Daybreak in the main living room when he heard a yell from above. Recognizing it as Mary-Lynette's, he stood up in alarm. Several people gave him strange looks before James explained.<p>

"Um, Poppy said Mary-Lynette is a little tired. She's just angry with her brother is all."

Ash nodded. That sounded like Mary-Lynette. Sitting back down, he tried using the soulmate link to talk to her. Nothing. She was shielding her mind. Mostly dismissing it as her being tired, Ash went back to his conversation with the Daybreakers. He had been explaining to them his current dilemma with his mother showing up in Briar Creek and how he had convinced Mary-Lynette that they needed to leave. Ash figured it would be smart to leave out the part about him changing Mary-Lynette into a vampire. She could tell them later if she wanted. Making a mental note to ask Thierry to explain the process a little more in depth, Ash decided it was time to head up to bed. People had been slowly disappearing to their rooms pair by pair all evening.

Walking up the staircase, Ash tried reaching out to Mary-Lynette again. Nothing. Not even dreams. Maybe she was so tired that she didn't even have the energy to dream. Trying not to worry too much, he gave a slight tug on the silver cord. She was there and alright. Breathing a sigh of relief, Ash continued on down the hallway.

Knocking quietly on the door of the room he was to share with Mary-Lynette, Ash opened it slowly to find her sitting on the centre of the still-made bed. Wide awake.

"So nice of you to finally show up." she said sarcastically, glaring at him with the force of a hurricane.

Nope. She wasn't sleeping or tired. She had been purposely keeping him out of her mind.

Great.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Uh-oh. I have a feeling Ash is in BIG trouble. Sorry this chapter is short, but I just felt that this was the perfect point to leave off at... **

**Thanks to:**

**ernesdo: Hooray! That's good! It means you're officially hooked! :D Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

**alissarhode: Aw thank you! I'm a kind of perfectionist when it comes to spelling and grammar. Hopefully you like this present! :) **

**peppa12: Thanks! Hope this chapter meets your expectations! :D**

**Well what did you guys think? What do you think Mary-Lynette is going to do/say to Ash? Don't forget to review! It lets me know that you're reading! Flames welcome. Did you guys find that too short? I can be sure that the remainder of my chapters aren't this short if you prefer.**

**Happy Writing!**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Thanks to all my awesome reviewers:**

**Sophia: You know it! Your idea was awesome, however I have something a little different in mind. Hope you enjoy it!**

**Alissarhode: Thank you! Sorry about the short chapter. I hope this one makes up for it!**

**Rose: Hooray! I'm glad someone enjoys the suspense! Enjoy the wrath!**

**mj-a4evaxx: No problem! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 20<strong>

Mary-Lynette was furious. First Ash had dragged her and her family down to Las Vegas from Briar Creek, then she finds out that he tried seducing his cousin's soulmate! She knew he had done things he wasn't proud of; but kidnapping someone? He was going to pay. Soon. A knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts. It must be Ash. She knew he would come. Where would he sleep otherwise? When she first entered the room, she had found that along with her suitcases, there were clothes in the closet and dresser. Assuming it was Ash's stuff, she sat down to wait for him to come up to bed. Now that he had, she would finally be able to give him a piece of her mind.

"So nice of you to finally show up." she said as the door opened, revealing the vampire she had been waiting for.

Ash stood there for a moment, looking frightened. Mary-Lynette knew he had been trying to talk to her earlier. She had effectively blocked him from her mind. It took some concentration, but she had managed.

"Mary-Lynette? You okay?" Ash sounded just as scared as he looked. Perfect.

"I dunno. Why don't you ask the girl you _kidnapped?" _

Ash looked confused for a moment, then the confused look on his face transformed into one of realization. Then it went right back to fear.

"Mary-Lynette. You gotta understand. That was a long time ago-"

"No! You've got to understand!" Mary-Lynette cut him off. "I don't care how long ago it was! The point is that you still did it!"

"I thought you had forgiven me?"

"Well you thought wrong."

Ash was stunned. He had seen his soulmate angry before, but never to such an extent. She was outraged.

"Care to explain to me just why you would kidnap your cousin's soulmate?" she asked. Her voice was deadly. If it was able to manifest into wooden stakes, Ash would have been dead.

"Well, like I said, it was a long time ago. I was different. All I knew was that my cousin had broken the Night World law. It was before I believed in the soulmate principle and -"

"Di-Didn't believe?" Mary-Lynette cut him off.

"No I didn't. Just let me finish my story please."

Mary-Lynette sat with her arms crossed over her chest, not really wanting to hear her soulmate carry on.

"Thank you. As I was saying, I thought James was just being the idiot he is. I convinced Poppy that she was putting James in danger as long as she was near him. Mortified, she followed me willingly. I brought her to Vegas and figured that I could at least have some fun with her before handing her over."

Mary-Lynette looked like she was going to say something, but Ash spoke before she could get the chance.

"She wouldn't let me get near her, so I figured I might as well cut my losses and go to the party Lord Thierry was hosting. Luckily for her, James and her brother Phil showed up before I had the chance to expose her. They walked away from my fight challenge and left. I hadn't heard from James until I arrived here at Circle Daybreak. Ironically enough, this mansion is the same one that the party was at…" he ended, remembering the event.

Appalled, Mary-Lynette glared at Ash. How could he have done something like that? Granted, it was before he had met her, but she couldn't let him off that easily.

"So, do you forgive me?" he asked childishly.

"No. In fact, I don't even want you near me right now! Please leave." she demanded coldly.

Ash quietly obliged, backing out of the room and closing the door behind him. As he did so, he took one last glance at Mary-Lynette, who was still seated on the bed, but looked as though she might break into tears. His heart broke. He was the reason she was crying. Him and his stupid mistakes. He numbly laid down on the couch in the living room, pulling a blanket off the back. The pokey edges of his broken heart jabbed him no matter which way he lay. He welcomed the pain as a constant reminder of how idiotic he was.

* * *

><p>Alone in her room, Mary-Lynette began to sob uncontrollably. She kept her mind shielded, but wished she didn't have to. The instant she told Ash to leave, she instantly regretted it. She needed him there beside her to protect her and keep her safe. Not having him in the same room as her just wasn't the same. She didn't feel those same feelings of peace and security. The security was there - she couldn't feel unsafe in this large mansion - but the peace wasn't. It felt like a tornado had ripped through her body, leaving her insides torn and mangled. Crying herself to sleep, Mary-Lynette tried telling herself that she had done the right thing; but for some reason she couldn't make herself believe it.<p>

* * *

><p>Ash was rudely awakened by hands picking him up and dropping him just beside the couch. Opening his eyes, he saw a girl with long black hair and grey eyes standing over him.<p>

"Good morning! It's about time you woke up!" she told him with false cheer in her voice.

"Keller's been begging to do that all morning! You're lucky I was able to hold her off this long." a male voice said. Sitting up slightly, Ash saw Galen Drache, Prince of the First House of the Shapeshifters standing off to one side smirking.

"I see you got kicked out of your room." he observed.

"Ya. Poppy told Mary-Lynette about a little _incident _from before I met her and she freaked."

"I'd say _freaked _is a bit of an understatement. I'm pretty sure the whole house heard your argument."

Ash simply glared at the dark-haired girl. Keller could be so annoying! It was a good thing she had Galen to keep her out of trouble.

Suddenly, a voice from the archway caused all three teenagers to look. It rang with authority.

"I'm sorry to break up this little party. Ash, could I talk to you in my office please?"

Ash stood up hurriedly. "Yes Lord Thierry. The sooner the better." he said, throwing a glance at Keller.

Following Thierry to his office, Ash caught a glimpse of James and Poppy walking down a hallway. He'd need to have a little chat with Poppy later. Closing the door, Thierry gestured for Ash to take a seat in front of his desk. Sitting behind the desk, Thierry ran his eyes over Ash.

"You look rough." he began.

"Tell me about it. Mary-Lynette and I had a bit of a fight last night and I got kicked out of our room." Ash explained.

"I see. So would you care to explain why you're back so early? You called to let us know you were coming, but you didn't explain the situation very fully."

Ash took a breath and prepared to once again explain his story for what he assumed would not be the last time.

* * *

><p>Mary-Lynette's first thought upon waking was <em>Where am I? <em>She looked around, remembering she was in Ash's room at Circle Daybreak's headquarters. Her next thought was regarding Ash. Where was he? Then she remembered. She had kicked him out because he had neglected to tell her about the time he kidnapped Poppy. She supposed she had been a little harsh on her soulmate, but hopefully it had given him something to think about. Wondering how her parents were doing, Mary-Lynette got dressed and went to find them. She knocked on their door, then on Mark's, but nobody answered. Perhaps they were somewhere else. Walking down the stairs, she was intercepted by a girl with fiery red hair and silver-blue eyes and a boy who's black hair hung down in his face, not quite covering his green eyes.

"Hey." the girl greeted.

"Who are you?" the tough-looking boy asked.

"Mary-Lynette." she replied, on the defensive now.

"Oh! You're Ash's infamous soulmate!" the boy seemed shocked to be seeing her.

Seeing her confusion, the girl spoke again. "We've heard lots about you. In fact, we were starting to think Ash just made the whole thing up!"

Mary-Lynette was surprised. Ash had told them about her?

"Oh, I'm Jez and this is Morgead by the way." the girl said as they started walking up the stairs, waving goodbye.

"See you around!" Morgead called to her.

_Well that was somewhat odd. _Mary-Lynette thought to herself, hoping that everyone else accepted her just as easily as Jez and Morgead had. Glancing in the living room on her way by, she found another couple sitting on the couch laughing. The blonde-headed boy had his arms wrapped around a girl who had long, flowing black hair. Not wanting to disturb them, Mary-Lynette turned to go.

"Wait! Come back!" she heard a male voice say. Turning around, Mary-Lynette saw that the boy had disentangled himself from the girl and was walking towards her.

"My name is Galen. Who might you be?" he asked, extending a hand. Finally! A normal introduction!

"I'm Mary-Lynette." she said, smiling at the cat-like boy. Like Ash, he felt like a cat. Everything from his cat-like eyes to the way he moved made her think it.

The girl stood up to shake her hand, and Mary-Lynette got the same impression from her.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Keller. I'm a shapeshifter." she added with a grin. "He is too."

That would explain the cat-like appearance.

"So, you're Ash's soulmate?" Keller asked after a moment. Obviously she had heard about her too.

"The one and only." she admitted with a smile. Something about these two made her feel extremely comfortable. Safe even. Though she was sure that both could kill her with a single strike, they didn't seem like it. Mary-Lynette was a little more comfortable around Galen, but Keller seemed genuinely nice. She noted that they stayed fairly close to one another, just like soulmates seemed to do.

"Um, have you seen my parents?" she eventually had enough courage to ask the question after learning a little bit about the two shapeshifters. She had learned that Keller was a panther and Galen was a leopard. Both looked very confused by her question though.

"Never mind." Mary-Lynette corrected. "Do you think you could point me in the direction of the kitchen?"

"We can do better than that. We can escort you there." Keller offered, receiving a nod from Galen.

"Okay I guess."

* * *

><p>When they finally arrived at the kitchen, Mary-Lynette was sure that she would get lost in such a large house. There were just so many rooms and hallways. There were some people sitting around a small table off to the side of the room, her parents among them. Thanking her new friends, Mary-Lynette walked over and took and empty chair next to her father.<p>

"Morning sleepyhead." he teased. "We've been up for hours now and you've only just woken up."

"I was tired." she said as an excuse. "Plus I got a little lost trying to find the kitchen. Or at least I would've if Keller and Galen hadn't shown me the way."

As Mary-Lynette gestured to the two teens standing awkwardly by the door, her father and Claudine gave a little wave.

"So how long do we have to stay here?" they whispered to her, not wanting the others to hear.

"I'm not sure." she whispered back. "Until Ash thinks it's safe enough for us to leave I guess."

"Kind of controlling, don't you think? I hate to nag, but controlling boyfriends aren't very good. The relationship might turn abusive." Typical Claudine. Mary-Lynette knew she was just watching out for her, but she clearly didn't understand the soulmate bond.

"We heard you guys fighting last night…" her father began.

Mary-Lynette cut him off. "Does everyone in this house know?"

Claudine looked sympathetic. Angry once again, Mary-Lynette walked briskly out of the kitchen, not even bothering to say good-bye.

Trying not to get lost, Mary-Lynette suddenly found herself in a large yard. Mark was there with a blonde-haired girl and a boy with sandy hair. They were crowded around a small bird which looked hurt from where she was standing. Not wanting another confrontation about her fight with Ash the night before, she quickly exited the yard from the way she came in. In her rush to escape, she suddenly collided with a girl who looked as though she was around the same age. The girl had a red smudge across one cheek, and for a moment, Mary-Lynette thought it was blood. Looking closer, she realized it looked more like a birthmark.

"I'm so sorry-" the girl started. Mary-Lynette cut her off.

"No no. I'm the one who should be sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going. It's my fault."

Standing up, Mary-Lynette offered the girl her hand. She gratefully took it, and Mary-Lynette pulled her to her feet.

"I'm Hannah." she introduced herself.

"Mary-Lynette. It's nice to meet you."

"You're Ash's soulmate then?" What was with everyone asking her that and being so surprised?

"Yes. I don't understand why that's such big news around here." Mary-Lynette said, hoping she didn't sound rude.

"Well Ash has just been so lonely and we could all tell he missed you so much. I guess we're just surprised that you're here is all. Not that we don't want you. We're just glad that he brought you with him." she finished with a smile.

Mary-Lynette liked the brown-haired girl. She felt almost as if she had connected with the girl, even though she had only spoken to her for a minute or so.

"Do you think I could talk to you for a minute?" she asked shyly.

"Sure. What about?"

"Um… Ash and I kinda had a fight last night, and I kinda wanted to talk to someone about it, if you don't mind." Now that she said it out loud, it sounded stupid. Now not only would Hannah think she was a klutz, she would probably think she was a complete idiot too.

"Of course! Come with me." she said, leading Mary-Lynette upstairs through a back stairwell. They came to a door and Hannah opened it, peeking in.

"Okay. Come on in. We can talk here."

Mary-Lynette found herself entering a pale gold bedroom. It was larger than Ash's, and seemed much more grande.

"Who's room is this?" she asked, again hoping that she didn't sound rude.

"Mine." Hannah replied simply.

* * *

><p>Now seated on the bed, Mary-Lynette began pouring her heart out to this girl she had just met. It was odd for her, but she didn't stop to consider what she was doing. So many odd things had happened the past few days, one more thing didn't worry her too much. She found herself telling Hannah absolutely everything, including the ordeal with Ash's mother and even her heart disease. When she finished, she was shocked and out of breath. Hannah had simply sat there listening, nodding at the appropriate times. They sat there in silence for a few minutes once she was finished. Mary-Lynette was thinking about what she had just said, and Hannah was taking it all in.<p>

"Well, the only thing I can think of that'll help you is talking to Ash." seeing that Mary-Lynette was about to protest, Hannah continued on.

"What he did to Poppy was in the past. He's changed. Even I've seen it. You know, when I first arrived at the mansion, he told me about you and how amazing you were. He also said how much he missed you and how much he wanted to make up for the things he had done in the past. He's a good guy, Mary-Lynette. Go talk to him."

Mary-Lynette nodded, seeing the logic in what the other girl was saying. Nodding, she leaned forwards, wrapping her arms around Hannah. She hoped the girl didn't mind. Hannah returned the hug, thankful that Mary-Lynette had so readily become her friend. Feeling a small amount of water on her shoulder, Hannah realized that Mary-Lynette was in tears.

Pulling away, Hannah looked at Mary-Lynette.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just - I wish I hadn't been such an idiot!" Mary-Lynette said, laughing slightly.

Hannah laughed as well. "Well sometimes it just can't be helped." she told her, giving her a teasing look before pulling her into another tight hug.

That was how Thierry found them, laughing and still hugging each other tightly. He looked at them for a moment, trying to figure out what they were doing, before clearing his throat to get their attention. The two girls immediately broke apart. Mary-Lynette watched as Hannah stood up and hugged Thierry quickly before gesturing to her.

"This is Mary-Lynette." she explained. Thierry nodded.

"Mary-Lynette, this is my soulmate, Thierry."

"Nice to meet you Thierry." Mary-Lynette said, in a good mood for the first time that day.

"So you're Ash's soulmate?" he questioned, though he sounded like he already knew the answer.

"Yep. So you're Hannah's soulmate?" she teased back.

Thierry laughed. "Well I can see why Ash loves you." was all he said.

"I'd best be on my way out." Mary-Lynette said after a short moment. "I've gotta go talk to Ash about something."

Both Thierry and Hannah nodded. Mary-Lynette gave Hannah a quick hug on her way out the door.

"Thanks for everything, Hannah."

"Anytime."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well that would be that chapter. Hope you enjoyed it and hopefully the length makes up for last chapter being short. **

**As always, let me know what you think of this new friendship between Mary-Lynette and Hannah. The rest of the soulmates will be introduced into the story soon. **

**So what was your favourite part? Any guesses about what is going to happen next?**

**Happy Writing my friends!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: I know I normally put these at the end, but I'm thinking it will be easier to respond to reviews at the beginning.**

**ernesdo: Haha ya, I just could see them being together since Ash said they were both wise in Soulmate. Hope you like this chapter!**

**: Thanks :) I loved writing that last bit. And if Ash was real, I would hug him too! **

**alissarhode: Thank you! And not exactly... You'll have to read and find out! Dahlia will be back, no worries. Lulling you all into a false sense of security :)**

**wishiweremary-lynette123: Holy Wow! That's crazy! Ummm there was no email address there though...**

**mary-lynette ash: I'm glad you enjoyed! That's awesome about your name!**

**starr1095: Not quite... You're beginning to realize that I love cliff-hangers though :)**

**Thanks everyone for reviewing and I hope you like this next chapter!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 21<strong>

Ash was upset. He had talked with Thierry and ended up telling him everything. Even though he hadn't planned on telling him quite so much; he did anyways. He had even mentioned Mary-Lynette's disease after making Thierry swear not to spread the news around. He knew that Mary-Lynette wouldn't want everyone knowing, and both he and Thierry respected that. Thierry had also given him some tips about changing Mary-Lynette. Since Ash had never changed someone, he was not completely sure about the process. Thierry cleared up all his uncertainties. Ash was now certain that he could change Mary-Lynette with no complications. The bigger issue - the one bothering him - was how he could get Mary-Lynette to talk to him again. She was furious with him, and he needed to apologize. No. He needed more than that. How could he make it up to her? He would have to think of something. Wandering aimlessly, he somehow found himself back in his room.

Hearing a knock on the door, he turned his head towards the sound. Walking over, he opened it slowly, planning on turning away whoever it was.

"Can I come in?" a shy voice asked. Ash's heart skipped a beat. He knew that voice, and it went through him like a jolt of electricity! It was Mary-Lynette's voice! The electric jolt, though stimulating, left Ash with a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. He hadn't had time to figure out how to smooth things over with Mary-Lynette yet!

"Of course!" of all the things he could say, that's all he could think of?

"Thanks." she murmured quietly.

"Do you think we could talk?" Mary-Lynette asked quietly after a few moments of awkward silence.

Ash nodded, feeling just as awkward.

"Would you mind letting me in first?" she asked, laughing slightly. Ash could tell it was forced though. Looking down, he realized that he was blocking the door still.

"Sorry." he muttered, moving so Mary-Lynette could enter.

She walked in and sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at the floor. Ash could tell that she was upset, even with her blocking him out of her mind. He wanted to walk over to her and wrap his arms around her. He wanted to comfort her and make her smile that beautiful smile of hers. He wanted to make all her problems go away. The only issue was that he was the problem. He needed to fix this - soon.

"Mary-Lynette, I just want to apologize." he began. She raised her head just enough so she could see him.

"I know it's not enough, but I'm so sorry for the way I acted! I should have told you about Poppy from the beginning. You need to understand that I just wanted to wreak havoc on my cousin. As I said before, I didn't fully understand the soulmate principle yet. I had no idea how he felt…" Ash trailed off into silence, lost in Mary-Lynette eyes. She was now gazing intently at him. Maybe he had a chance after all!

"Ash," she began, "I have something to say too." Ash looked on encouragingly.

"I've been an idiot. I know you've done things in your past, and I guess I just have to accept that."

"Mary-Lynette, you have nothing to apologize for." he said, stepping closer to his soulmate.

"Yes, I do. I was idiotic enough to reprimand you for stuff I'd already promised to forgive you for!"

"No you weren't! It was my fault for doing it in the first place!" The two teenagers were practically yelling at each other. The shouting war continued, each stepping forward as they made their arguments, until they were barely a foot apart.

Finally, Ash couldn't take it anymore. He closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms tightly around Mary-Lynette.

"We even fight over who's at fault." he said into her ear, chuckling.

"Maybe we're just destined to fight." she replied, laughing.

"So does this mean that we're not fighting anymore?"

"Well, not about that." he said, pulling her in tighter.

"You're still in trouble though." Mary-Lynette announced, pulling away. "I'm not letting you off that easily."

Ash felt his heart sink. Great. He gave his soulmate a questioning look.

"You've still dragged me here more or less against my will, and have only introduced me to two people!"

"Well, if you hadn't have gotten mad at me last night, I would've introduced you to a lot more." Ash explained. "I could go introduce you to them all now, if you'd like."

"That's not my point, Ash. The point is that I just feel out of place. I'm pretty certain that my parents feel the same way. It's probably worse for them. I at least fit in because I have a soulmate. They don't even have that."

"I don't understand how I can help that though…"

"I'm saying that maybe us all coming here was a bad idea."

"I thought you wanted your parents to come though."

"No. I don't mean just them. I mean all of us. I honestly am starting to doubt that Dahlia would have attacked any of us."

"She would have. Trust me. How about I make it easier on you all and introduce everyone to your family? Of course, I'll introduce you first, just so you get a chance to talk to them a little but more."

"I guess." Mary-Lynette said, not fully satisfied, but pleased with how accommodating and compassionate her soulmate was being.

"Let's go then." Ash said, taking Mary-Lynette's hand and pulling her towards the door. Laughing, she willingly followed. Hopefully people would be a little easier to talk to with Ash around.

* * *

><p>Mark was pleased with himself. In the few hours that he had been awake, he had managed to befriend Thea Harman - a witch with long blonde hair and brown eyes - and her soulmate, Eric Ross - a human who had green eyes and blonde hair. Together, they had rescued a bird they found in the yard. It had an injured wing, and both Eric and Thea had allowed him to help them with the bird. Using magic and veterinary knowledge, they had managed to heal the bird's wing and sent it back on its way. Mark was amazed at how compassionate the two teenagers were. Not only did they help animals, but they helped him too. They seemed to have been able to sense that he was lonely and in need of people to talk to, so they reached out to him. After only a small time with the two, Mark was mostly open with them. He told them why he was there and about Jade, whom Thea knew. He explained how upset he was that he wasn't allowed to tell her that he was leaving, and how worried he was about her. Thea and Eric understood. As soulmates, they knew how hard it was to be apart, and sympathized with him. Mark could tell that they genuinely seemed to care about him, and that they treated him as their equal. He had found himself two friends.<p>

* * *

><p>Mr. Carter was finding it difficult to be at this so called headquarters. The only people there other than Claudine and himself were teenagers. He hadn't seen a single adult. It struck him as odd that so many teenagers could live in one place without any sort of parental supervision. In addition, almost every one of them seemed to have a soulmate. Nearly all of them were paired up. He didn't know much about Circle Daybreak, but Mr. Carter had a feeling that they weren't the most feared group around. Though Mr. Carter and Claudine had talked to a few people, they didn't really feel very welcome in the home, and the teenagers all seemed to be, well, teenagers. He was beginning to doubt Ash's logic in bringing them there to supposedly protect them. How were a bunch of teenagers supposed to keep them safe? Talking with Claudine, Mr. Carter had determined that his wife felt the same way.<p>

* * *

><p>Entering the living room, Ash's hand in hers, Mary-Lynette noticed that more couples had joined Keller and Galen. Jez and Morgead were there, as were James and Poppy. Ash released her hand, and Mary-Lynette watched as he walked over and stood in the centre of the room, commanding everyone's attention.<p>

"Guys, I wanna introduce you to my soulmate, Mary-Lynette." he said once the room was quiet. Holding out his hand, he invited Mary-Lynette to join him. She shyly did so, taking his hand nervously. Seeing everyone staring at her, she gave a little wave, feeling extremely stupid. Ash then began with introductions, pointing to each person as he said their name.

"Galen and Keller," he said, gesturing to the two shapeshifters.

"Maggie and Delos" he pointed to a boy with black hair and yellow eyes who had him arm wrapped around a girl with auburn-coloured air.

"Jez and Morgead" Ash said, pointing to the couple.

"David and Gillian" a boy with blue eyes and black hair waved, as did his pale-haired soulmate.

"And you already have met James and Poppy." Poppy smiled widely as Ash mentioned her name.

"Actually, we've already met Mary-Lynette as well." Galen spoke up.

"Same with us." Morgead added.

Ash looked at Mary-Lynette in surprise. She had apparently already introduced herself to some of the people here at Circle Daybreak.

"What?" she said, seeing his quizzical gaze. "I had to do _something_ this morning."

After spending some time getting to know Maggie, Delos, David, and Gillian, Mary-Lynette felt ecstatic. Her earlier worries had disappeared and she was feeling accepted and liked. Even better, she felt as though things were going to work out for the better with her and her family staying at Thierry's mansion. Even though she felt bad dragging her family along, she knew that if she hadn't, she would only worry about them. This was, she could meet the Daybreakers as they called themselves, and not have to worry about her family. Feeling a searing pain in her chest, Mary-Lynette tried as hard as she could to not bring attention to herself. Maggie was sharing a story about a soccer camp she attended one time, so everyone was distracted. Ash sensed her distress, and immediately looked over at her from across the room where he was seated on a couch.

_Are you okay?_

_Um…. Not really…. My chest- _Mary-Lynette couldn't even think because she was in so much pain.

Ash immediately got up and walked over to where she was seated. Excusing them, he helped her up and helped her out of the room before picking her up in him arms.

_Come on. I'll bring you up to the room. _he told her, trying to comfort her; knowing it wouldn't work very well.

As he reached the hallway where the room was, Ash suddenly noticed a figure standing just down the hall.

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><p><strong>AN: And, as predicted by starr1095, Cliff-hanger! I love them a little too much for my own good I think. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know it's not my greatest work, but I felt bad not updating for so long, and was determined to finish this chapter tonight! **

**So who do you think the figure is? Let me know and don't forget to review! I love hearing what you have to say about the story. :)**

**Happy Writing!**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Thanks to:**

**Night-Alice: :p I love my cliff hangers. Thank you though! Hopefully you like this chapter...**

**ernesdo: You never know... Guess you'll just have to read and find out**

**starr1095: ooh... Perhaps I shall have to add him eventually, or maybe in one of my sequels. Hopefully you don't kill me after reading the end... Thanks though! :)**

**PARAMOREforeverPARAMORE: Sorry... I don't really write as much as I should. I shall try to fix that though. Enjoy the chapter and hopefully I shall update quicker than last time...**

**ashmattack22: Thank you! Can't tell you if you're right yet. Guess you'll have to read and see...**

**mj-a4evaxx: Haha I'm glad people like cliff hangers. :) They're much to fun to write!**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 22<strong>

Mary-Lynette's head was a mess. Complete chaos ensued the instant her chest starting hurting. She was vaguely aware of Ash helping her from the room and carrying her up the stairs. However, most of her mind was occupied with strange images and colours. Flashing rapidly, they made her dizzy and nearly faint. Focusing on the small yet familiar voice she could hear, she managed to stay awake. It was calling to her, trying to talk to her. She didn't have the strength to talk though. Trying to control the fire within her took everything she had. As Mary-Lynette began putting her energy into dousing the flames in her chest, the haunting visions took over her mind. They were strange, but not totally unfamiliar. In fact, she seemed to recognize most of the people and places. Her and Ash standing in the forest exchanging blood for the first time. Jeremy attacking Ash. The memories were warped and twisted though. When they were exchanging blood, Ash did not stop. He just kept drinking and drinking until she felt herself going limp in his arms. Cackling maniacally, Ash cast her body aside and walked away, leaving her to die. Jeremy attacking Ash and Ash pleading for him to stop. Asking him to attack her instead. Mary-Lynette tried to scream, tried to run away. She found her mouth had a foul-tasting cloth in it and her hands were bound behind a tree. Ash Jeremy moved closer, Ash followed as if he were hoping for scraps once Jeremy was finished with her.

Jeremy lunged forwards and the world went black.

* * *

><p>Ash stopped dead in his tracks. Someone was standing just down the hall, watching him. He couldn't tell who it was, but he didn't really want to find out. Turning on the spot, a voice called out to him.<p>

"Ash! Wait!"

Damn it! The figure knew his name. Turning back around to face it, he saw the figure separate into two. The two shadowed forms then began to move towards him. Still trying to reach out to Mary-Lynette with his mind, Ash was unable to determine who was advancing upon him with telepathy. Scared with the idea that Lily may have come and brought an accomplice, Ash was frozen with fear. He wasn't in the greatest position to fight someone off. Mary-Lynette was in his arms, and he was completely unarmed. No weapons whatsoever. Holding his ground, Ash decided that he wouldn't give up. He would protect Mary-Lynette at all costs. Holding his soulmate close, he prepared to set her down and fight.

* * *

><p>"Ash. Don't run. It's us."<p>

Wait a second. He recognized that voice.

"Lord Thierry?" he asked.

"Yes." the taller of the two figures said as they emerged into the limited light in the hallway.

"Lady Hannah." Ash breathed a sigh of relief.

"Who else?" she laughed.

"I thought maybe you were Lily." Ash explained, ashamed of his thoughts. What would Lily be doing in the mansion?

"Nope. Just us. What's wrong with Mary-Lynette?" Hannah asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"She passed out." he said, not wanting to give too much away.

"You'd better let us help." Thierry observed. "You might need it."

Ash nodded curtly before heading towards his room once more. Thierry opened the door for both Hannah and Ash to pass through before entering the room himself.

"So what happened?" Thierry asked once Mary-Lynette was on the bed. His voice rang with authority. The kind which Ash dared not defy.

"I'm not totally sure, to be honest." Ash began. "We were downstairs talking when I suddenly sensed that Mary-Lynette was in pain. I looked over at her and she was trying hard not to show the pain, but she was struggling. While everyone was distracted with Maggie's story we quietly left the room. I've been trying to reach to her mentally, but she's really confused feeling and her chest seems to hurt too bad for her to respond. When we were heading to the room, we ran into you guys. She must've passed out along the way."

Both Hannah and Thierry nodded. Placing a hand on Mary-Lynette's, Thierry asked "May I?"

"Of course." Ash said. He watched as Thierry closed his eyes so he could concentrate.

"I can't seem to reach her mind." he said after a minute. "You would probably have a better chance. Try to find out what's wrong if you can."

Nodding, Ash held one of Mary-Lynette's hands in both of his. Reaching with his mind, he called to her.

_Mary-Lynette._

_Mary-Lynette, what's wrong? Please tell me?_

Though he couldn't hear anything, Ash could tell that his soulmate was distressed. Probing deeper into her mind, he could sense more than distress. She was in physical pain.

"It's her chest." he finally managed to say aloud. Being connected to Mary-Lynette mentally meant he felt her pain. He couldn't feel it to the same extent which she did, but it was still unbearable.

"What about it?" Hannah asked anxiously.

"Well she's in extreme pain. I don't know if there's anything I can do to help her right now." Ash fell to his knees beside the bed, too filled with grief to stand. He allowed his head to rest against the side of the bed. A sign of defeat.

"Ash, you can't give up." Thierry's voice was full of compassion. "She needs you now more than ever. Just keep your presence in her mind so she knows you're here with her."

Ash nodded, raising his head to look at Thierry as he spoke. Keeping Mary-Lynette's hand in his, he re-entered her mind. Keeping a noticeable but unobtrusive presence, he made sure that she knew he was there. He was scarcely aware of Hannah sliding onto the bed and taking Mary-Lynette's other hand. Thierry soon joined her, putting an arm around Hannah's shoulders and taking Mary-Lynette's hand as well. Rubbing Hannah's shoulders, Thierry looked into her eyes, comforting her with his mind.

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><p>There was a light breeze swirling around the funeral procession as they slowly made their way through the graveyard. The casket was a deep mahogany and was decorated simply. Small designs of flowers and stars were carved in the corners and on the edges of the rectangular box. The coffin bearers were struggling to hold back tears as their carried the coffin on their shoulders towards the newly dug grave. The coffin was placed on the grass just beside the gaping hole in the ground as a large group of people surrounded it. Tears flowed freely down the faces of many. Others looked as though they were about to cry. Some of the onlookers were biting their lips in an attempt to keep the water in their eyes. Others still had murderous looks upon their faces. Almost as if everyone else was to blame for the death. Like the world was their enemy. As everyone stood, a man stepped forwards and they turned to look at the man. His voice was heavy with grief as he began to speak.<p>

"Heart disease is a terrible tragedy. But it unfortunately is one which cannot be helped." the man broke off as he began sobbing slightly into a handkerchief. He sounded as though he didn't truly believe what he was saying. As he started to speak again, a voice spoke up from the back of the crowd.

"Like hell it is!"

The crowd slowly parted as a boy with ash-blonde hair pushed his way to where the man was standing. The boy was dressed in all black and had a black iris pinned to his front. His face was tear-stained and tears were pouring from his eyes.

"This could have been prevented! You know what I'm talking about!" the boy accused the man. The crowd looked astonished. The death had been a tragedy. What was this teenager talking about? They knew he was attached to the deceased, but they were still confused.

The boy dropped to his knees in front of the man, draping his body over the coffin. Sobs could be heard coming from him as the wind picked up, swirling the recently fallen leaves. The man walked up behind the boy, placing a hand on his shoulder. The boy hit it off.

"It's going to be okay. But there's nothing we can do. She's gone." he said matter-of-factly.

At that moment, the boy exploded with rage. Screaming, he remained draped over the coffin. Suddenly and without warning, he sprung up. Tackling the man, the two fell to the ground. The boy's eye's turned silver and two razor-edged teeth were exposed as he let loose another scream of rage. The wind howled around the two as the boy leaned down towards the struggling man. Looking down upon the pulsing spot of blue in the man's neck, he prepared to bite down upon it.

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><p><strong>AN: Well there you have it. Please don't get mad about the ending, I just had a random moment of inspiration and felt like it was the way to end the chapter. Any ideas as to what's going on?  
><strong>

**As always, your reviews mean the world to me and I love opening my email and finding them! **

**Happy Writing!**

**So you know I did not kill Mary-Lynette. I wasn't thinking when I wrote this and didn't consider how you guys would read it. So sorry! I understand if you hate me and don't want to keep reading. I was essentially just leaving you with a cliff-hanger.**

**Once again, I'm so very sorry.**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Thanks to:**

**Take Me To My Fragile Dreams: The man was meant to be Mary-Lynette's father. Guess I could've made that clearer... **

**starr1095: Hopefully you don't hate me anymore! :) I wouldn't end a story like that... No worries**

**Night-Alice: Thanks! And yes he is. And I guess you're gonna have to read to find out whether I did or not :)**

**ashmattack: Criticism is good. If that was the ending, I'd hate it too. Trust me. And I guess you'll have to read and find out**

**kinanbon x3: I've missed your reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying the story! :D**

**peppa12: Thanks! Hopefully you like this**

**embleu44: You'll have to read and find out Haha**

**Mary-Lynette Ash: Awww Thank you! :D Hopefully you enjoy this chapter and the cliff-hanger at the end **

**Alissarhode: No worries. Being in the middle of nowhere is fun :) And I guess you'll have to do some reading to have your questions answered!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 23<strong>

With a gasp, Mary-Lynette woke up. She was sticky and clammy and felt disoriented. She immediately broke down and began sobbing. Ash's head snapped up as he heard the gasp. Looking up, he saw that Mary-Lynette had woken up. He squeezed her hand, but she immediately broke into tears. What was going on? Standing up, Ash spoke.

"Mary-Lynette? Are you okay?"

She looked up at him, relieved. Seeing her shake her head, he helped her sit up and sat behind her, wrapping his arms around her and resting his head on top of hers.

"What's wrong?" he questioned gently.

_My chest hurt and then I had this dream- _Her mind allowed her to speak fluently, but he could tell she was preoccupied.

"What about?" he asked aloud.

_My funeral. _she told him quietly but bluntly. _You and Dad were there and you told him that he could have stopped my death. Then he said that there was nothing anyone could have done. Then you got mad and attacked him. _Turning around, Mary-Lynette hid her face in Ash's chest as she began to sob quietly.

"Mary-Lynette, this is my fault." Ash explained. "I was trying to keep a light presence in your mind to be sure you were safe. Guess I kinda blew it."

Looking upwards, Mary-Lynette shook her head. "No. You were just looking out for me is all." Switching to telepathic communication, she carried on. _Y'know, now that I think about it, you were right. Maybe our fate isn't in the stars. Maybe we have to take things into our own hands sometimes._

_What's with the sudden change of heart? _he inquired.

_Well just the dream and all… I don't want to die! _she finally admitted in a yell.

Ash held Mary-Lynette tighter to his chest, crushing her. _I swear I won't let that happen, _he told her fiercely. She simply wrapped her arms around his neck, holding herself close to his body. Ash eventually pulled away, knowing that they couldn't stay that way forever, as much as he wanted to. Mary-Lynette resisted at first, but slowly began to realize that they were not the only ones in the room. She could feel the bed sinking down in another area and looked over to see Thierry and Hannah sitting beside her. Hannah's head was resting on Thierry's shoulder and he had his arm around her shoulders. Both had slight tear stains on their cheeks as though they had been crying.

"Mary-Lynette," Ash spoke aloud. "I'd like you to meet Lord Thierry and Lady Hannah. Lord Thierry is the leader of Circle Daybreak, and Lady Hannah is his soulmate."

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><p>Mary-Lynette was shocked. <em>Lord <em>Thierry and _Lady _Hannah? She was immediately worried. What if they thought she was rude for not realizing their rank? Hannah had been so nice before though. Was it pity? Did she think she was pathetic for spilling her guts like that? Thoughts were running through Mary-Lynette's head like the stray meteors she sometimes saw - they appeared suddenly, burning brightly, then disappeared just as quickly into the night. Seeming to sense her distress Thierry - _Lord _Thierry - spoke.

"Actually we've already met." Ash looked slightly shocked as he looked at Mary-Lynette, who nodded.

"And for the record, just call us Hannah and Thierry." Hannah insisted. Nodding again, Mary-Lynette looked upon the leader of Circle Daybreak. She didn't know how she missed it before, but he seemed to have an air of sophistication around him that would make him an ideal leader.

Realizing that the silence surrounding the four teenagers was becoming awkward, Mary-Lynette finally spoke aloud.

"So, um, not to be rude or anything, but what are you guys doing here?" she asked Hannah and Thierry.

"Well we found Ash carrying you upstairs and forced him to let us come along in case he needed help." Thierry explained.

Nodding, Mary-Lynette turned to the yellow-eyed boy with a teasing look on her face. "Forced him, huh?"

Ash put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "I just figured you didn't want anyone knowing you passed out or about your heart." he protested.

Mary-Lynette laughed. "Well luckily for you, I already told Hannah everything."

Shocked, Ash looked over at Hannah, who nodded and started laughing along with Mary-Lynette.

"Well, I hate to break up the little party," Thierry began, "but we probably should figure out what you're going to do about everything."

Sobering up, Mary-Lynette looked at Thierry with respect. He certainly got to the point quickly.

"Well how much more blood do you think Mary-Lynette needs before she transforms?" Ash asked.

"It depends. How many times have you made the exchange?"

"Twice."

"Well if you exchange a small amount of blood now to ensure her body remains strong, you should be able to wait until the threat of your mother is gone. Unless you would rather change her now, which is able to be done."

Ash looked at Mary-Lynette. "It's up to you."

"Well," Mary-Lynette felt suddenly shy. "I'd rather make the change back home once I'm safe if that's okay."

"Of course it is." Ash told her. "We should probably do a small exchange though now like Thierry said."

"We'll leave you two alone then." Hannah said, knowing that a blood exchange was personal and private. Her and Thierry inconspicuously left the room, closing the door softly behind them.

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><p>Mr. Carter was irritated. He and Claudine had been dragged to Las Vegas by some teenager, whom Mr. Carter was now beginning to think was on drugs. How could he have been so easily duped? Vampires? Drinking blood? It was probably just an excuse to give his daughter a hickey! Or worse, he had actually drank her blood! Mary-Lynette had probably contracted AIDS or something! He was going to kill that blonde-haired boy! Grabbing his wife's hand, Mr. Carter dragged her out of the kitchen. She questioned his anger and what he was doing, and he stopped abruptly and explained his suspicions. Still skeptical about the vampire thing herself, she readily believed him. Wide-eyed, Claudine asked what he was going to do.<p>

"I'm gonna put that punk in his place!" he nearly shouted before dragging her up the staircase.

He had to ask two teenagers which room was Mary-Lynette's, and they pointed them in the right direction, advising they knock first. That suggestion was not to be followed by Mr. Carter. In fact, it only infuriated him more.

Finally reaching the door, Claudine still in tow, Mr. Carter opened the door with a slam. Mary-Lynette and Ash were seated on the bed. They jumped apart as the door opened, startled by the loud noise.

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><p>"Dad? What are you doing?" Mary-Lynette yelled when she realized who had caused the noise.<p>

"Mary-Lynette. Grab your stuff. We're going home." her father demanded.

"Wha- Why?" she demanded back.

"Because I'm convinced that this boy has deceived you into thinking he's something he's not."

"Oh ya? And what would that be?"

"He's a drug-user! He's got you convinced he's a vampire, but really he's nothing more than an extremely messed up individual!"

"Dad!" Mary-Lynette shouted. "What would you know?"

"A hell of a lot more than you seem to! C'mon! We're going!"

Mr. Carter grabbed her arm and dragged her out the door of the room, Claudine following meekly.

_Ash! Help! Please? _Mary-Lynette called desperately. Ash seemed genuinely hurt by Mr. Carter's words and mistrust, Mary-Lynette noted.

Ash remained silent for a moment before running after his soulmate.

_Mary-Lynette! Wait! _

_Ash, I don't think I've got much of a choice at the moment._

"Mr. Carter!" Ash called out. "Please stop! I need to speak with you! Please! You can't take Mary-Lynette!"

"Yes. I can. She's my daughter."

"Just let me explain! Please!"

"I've already told you! No! Stay away from my daughter!"

Mr. Carter saw Mark in the living room and told Claudine to grab him as they went by. As they emerged from the front of the mansion, dragging Mary-Lynette and Mark, Ash followed.

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><p>Mary-Lynette had just finished exchanging blood with Ash when her father burst in on them. As such, her sight and hearing had been intensified. As she was dragged out of the house, she could see a shadow standing at the end of the driveway. Ash stopped in his tracks when he saw it, knowing Mary-Lynette did too.<p>

Reaching out with his mind, Ash was able to determine who it was.

His mother, Dahlia, had come after all.

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><p><strong>AN: Yes, Dahlia is finally back. For some reason I had a hard time writing this chapter... Probably procrastination and camping so I apologize for not updating sooner. Well I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review! Criticism is more than welcome. Point out mistakes, tell me what you didn't like. Feel free to tell me what you liked too :)**

**Well, I should warn you that another update may not come for a little while, but I shall try to update as often as I can!**

**Happy Writing!**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: I'm back! I am SO sorry that it took me so long to update this! School started and everything has been chaotic! Thankfully I got some writing in just before, so most of this chapter was finished... It was just the finishing that took a while...**

**Hopefully people are still reading this, and I'm going to have to keep this short because I've got class in about 15 minutes...**

**Thanks to:  
>Sophia: Yes she is. And she's just as evil!<br>Night-Alice: It's simply pay-back for all the ones you leave me :P  
>starr1095: Yay! I'm glad you're not mad (though you're probably annoyed at me not updating). I very much like the twist you suggested although I think it's more so reality sinking in and him realizing how absurd he had been<br>kinanbon x3: I'm glad you're enjoying and I feel the same way!**

**Happy Reading! **

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><p><strong>Chapter 24<strong>

Mr. Carter continued to force Mary-Lynette into the SUV, oblivious to the new visitor. Not having packed, the SUV was empty and hollow feeling. As Mr. Carter began forcing Mary-Lynette into the car, a cold hand grabbed his shoulder. Another one grabbed Mary-Lynette's arm. Momentarily shocked, Mr. Carter turned to face a black-haired lady with even darker eyes.

"I'll take it from here." she told him in a voice that froze him to his very core.

Suddenly another hand was on Mr. Carter's other shoulder.

"Actually, I'd prefer you didn't." a familiar voice said. The lady's icy glare intensified as she shifted her gaze over to the blonde boy.

"Oh look. Little lover-boy to the rescue yet again." she sneered. "Unfortunately I won't be giving in so easily this time."

Frozen in fear, Mr. Carter couldn't take his eyes from the black-eyed lady. He was completely captivated by her, and slowly felt himself relinquish his hold on his daughter's arm. He wasn't sure why he was doing it. He just was. It was like his mind was no longer his own; like it was being invaded…

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><p>Mary-Lynette was terrified. Her soulmate's mother was out to kill her, and now she was back. Her father was holding her in place, trying to force her into the SUV when a cold hand gripped her wrist. Shivers went through her spine as she turned towards to lady who was determined to kill her, paralyzing her. As she faced the black-haired lady, a warmer, more familiar hand wrapped itself around her free wrist. A voice reached out to her in her mind.<p>

_Mary-Lynette, it's okay. Everything will be fine as long as we can get your family away from here. You too. I don't want you caught in the middle of this. _

_I'm already in the middle of this! We need to get my parents and brother out of here, but I'm staying._

_No. You'll get hurt!_

_So will you if you fight your mother!_

_I don't matter! You're all that matters! _

_Well you're pretty important to me!_

Their silent argument was interrupted by Dahlia's cold voice.

"Ash, we can resolve all our issues quite simply." she said in a fake motherly tone. He gave her a questioning glare.

"Simply ditch the humans and human-lovers and everything will be back to the way it should be."

"It's a little more complicated than that." Ash retorted. "Mary-Lynette is my soulmate." he stated firmly, moving his arm from Mary-Lynette's wrist to around her shoulder, pulling her to his side. Mr. Carter had released his daughter, so Ash wanted to attempt to bring his soulmate closer to his body. Dahlia refused to release her wrist, so Mary-Lynette's arm dangled between the two sides.

"You honestly believe in all that soulmate nonsense?" she looked disapprovingly at her son. "I thought I raised you better than that. You've fallen for vermin. Become attached."

"You're right." Ash said as Mary-Lynette looked on him with wide eyes. "I have fallen for her. I've fallen head-over-heels in love with her and nothing can change that. She's my soulmate. We're meant for one another." he finished simply.

Dahlia turned her glare from Ash to Mary-Lynette. Her eyes bore into her like small beetles bent on destroying her. Mary-Lynette could feel Dahlia trying to enter her mind at the same time. She heard the voice in her head again. The same voice that had haunted her back in Briar Creek. The only difference was that this time she knew exactly what - or rather who - it was.

_He's lied to you you know._

_No he hasn't. You're the one who's been spreading lies Dahlia._

_Nonsense. I've simply been trying to protect you._

_From what? As far as I can see, the biggest threat to me here is you._

_Me? Sweetie, you know Ash doesn't love you. He's using you._

_No he's not._

_Yes, he is. You're just a toy to him. _

_No I'm not. You're not going to fool me._

_Mary-Lynette, I'm ashamed to tell you that my son has deluded you into believing in nonsense like the soulmate principle. He made a grave mistake by revealing what he truly is, and tried to cover it up by spewing lies. _

_No he didn't! He's told me everything!_

_Has he? Well he's certainly told you many lies, if that's what you mean._

_He hasn't! Has he?_

_Ah, now you see, that's the question. Has everything been a lie?_

_No. It can't have been…_

Mary-Lynette slowly found herself doubting everything Ash had told her. Maybe he had been lying to her about everything. But what was with the blood exchange? Only a vampire would do that, right? It had to be true, yet she was having a hard time believing. Maybe her Dad was right. Maybe leaving was smart. She'd have a clear head then. Nobody inside it but herself. She'd be able to think and try to separate reality from lies and deceit.

Deciding to go home with her family, Mary-Lynette tried to get into the SUV. As she did so, she remembered that Ash was restraining her. Holding her tightly to his side, he refused to let her go.

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><p>Ash could tell that his mother was doing something to Mary-Lynette. The two were staring intently at one another, glaring. Peeking into his soulmate's mind, he could hear a furious argument within her head. Listening, he could hear his mother trying to convince Mary-Lynette that he didn't love her. Though Mary-Lynette seemed to be resisting, he could feel her slowly giving in. Slowly beginning to believe his mother.<p>

_Mary-Lynette! _he had no choice. He needed to make things right.

_Mary-Lynette, listen to me please! _he shielded the thoughts from his mother, hoping he would be able to convince Mary-Lynette not to listen to her.

She wasn't responding, so he tried again. _Mary-Lynette, my mother is trying to turn you against me! She's lying to you!_

_Is she? _Mary-Lynette finally responded. _How do I know that you're not the one lying to me?_

That blow hurt Ash. His mother was using her mind to influence his soulmate and telling her not to trust him! It infuriated him, and he was now determined to get his mother away from her as soon as possible, by any means possible.

_Mary-Lynette, _he figured it was worth one more try. _You need to listen to me. My Mom doesn't believe we're soulmates, she's trying to kill you and probably me too._

_No she's not! You're the one trying to kill me! You've only told me lies since we met! You left me hurt and alone for almost a year with no communication whatsoever! Then you kidnapped me and brought me here, to somewhere I don't belong and don't fit in and don't even introduce me to anyone until I ask! Although, I have to thank you for dating me or whatever it was. You've taught me to be more careful about who I trust and who I fall in love with!_

Ash just stood there. Mary-Lynette's words hurt him like a wooden stake to the heart. Stakes that were lit on fire and slowly left him for dead; burning and bleeding in a place worse than hell. Worse than her words the night before, they left Ash standing in shock before his soulmate.

Letting his arm drop, Ash stared at his soulmate. She returned his stare with a glare filled with frost and hate. Stepping away from him, Mary-Lynette didn't turn her back, but simply turned so she was now standing beside his mother. Dahlia reached out and took hold of Mary-Lynette's hand, signalling to Ash that Mary-Lynette was hers now. She had surrendered her mind and believed her wholeheartedly. Ash felt as though he was dying. His own mother had turned his soulmate against him. Even worse, his soulmate refused to trust him! She was supposed to be with him forever! He figured that meant complete and total trust in one another. Ash knew that if it came down to it, he would trust Mary-Lynette with his life! He had always assumed that the feeling was mutual.

Guess not.

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><p><strong>AN: So what did you think? Please let me know what you think and if you're still there!**

**Once again I'm SO SO SORRY! I will try to update more frequently, but I can't promise anything... My course load is crazy! If I don't have time during school, I'll try to do some writing over Thanksgiving Break (unfortunately that means you have to wait another 2 weeks).  
>Hopefully you all are still enjoying!<strong>

**Happy Writing! **


	25. Chapter 25

****A/N: I'm finally back! I'm SO SO sorry for the long wait... School has been absolutely crazy and I haven't had any time for writing in forever! Thankfully, I managed to finish this last week, but then I forgot about it until tonight, so here you go! Sorry for any weird formatting that may be found... When I uploaded to fanfiction, it decided to get rid of any breaks and make everything into one really long paragraph...  
>Thanks to:<br>alissarhode: No problem! I know exactly how you feel! Thank you so much :D  
>Night-Alice: As always, thanks times a million!<br>ernesdo: Hooray! Thank you for your patience :) Hopes this satisfies your appetite at least temporarily  
>NightLover432: Please don't stake me :o Sorry for the shortness of this chapter... Figuring out where I want to take this and wanted to update rather than leaving you all hanging any longer :D Hopefully this is acceptable...<br>writer1098: Haha Here you go :) ****

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><p><strong>Chapter 25<strong>

Mark was paralysed. Not literally. More so mentally. However, it had the same effect. It wasn't as though he physically couldn't move though. It was more like he couldn't bring himself to move. He knew he should intervene in the situation. He needed to help make things better and right. He needed to stop his sister from being such a complete idiot. He couldn't do it though. Something in the back of his head was holding him back. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring himself to do anything. It was like his subconscious mind knew that it was Mary-Lynette's fight and no matter how badly he wanted to help her, his subconscious wouldn't let him. So he watched. Watched as his sister was handed over by his father to Ash. Saw the trust in his eyes as he gave Ash a look that communicated that trust. Then he watched as his sister's fear turned into an almost maniacal certainty. But it wasn't certainty that Ash would keep her safe no matter what. It was certainty that Ash was lying and that Dahlia was the protector! He was positive that mind control was being used and he didn't like it. Mind control was a dirty trick.

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><p>Looking at his daughter, Mr. Carter felt a sickening trickle of fear start flowing through his body, He didn't know where it started, but it did. It made him sick to his stomach to see Mary-Lynette's eyes look so lifeless. So corpse-like. Like someone had drained her of everything, leaving only a hollow shell behind. It was unnerving, to say the least. Unnatural in fact. Gripping Claudine's hand, he pulled her to his side. She had been standing slightly behind Ash and Mary-Lynette, but as Ash relinquished Mary-Lynette to his mother, Mr. Carter didn't want Claudine behind the teen. He had an eerie feeling that something bad was about to happen. It was happening! His daughter looked possessed! Suddenly he remembered something Mary-Lynette had told him when they first explained about vampires. "Soulmates can kinda communicate telepathically." she had told him. He wondered if vampires in general could use telepathy. It seemed to make sense. Silently hoping that his idea would work, Mr. Carter thought very hard and hoped Ash could hear him.<em>What are you doing? I thought you loved her!<em> Over and over again he thought the phrase, hoping desperately that Ash was, in fact a vampire. He shocked himself at this change of heart. Only moments ago, he had torn his daughter away from this boy because he believed him to be using drugs. Now he was trying to use telepathy? What was wrong with him?

A voice entered Mr. Carter's head. It startled him as it was not his own._I do. Of course I do. Why else would I have brought you all here? She wouldn't leave without you. I had no other choice. _Looking over at Ash, Mr. Carter saw a hint of a smirk on his face. It quickly disappeared in the anger though. It was clear that Ash wasn't going to stand for things much longer._Be careful! I don't want to have to live with my daughter if you get hurt! _Mr. Carter thought, hoping that the blonde teenager could still hear him. He saw a flicker of a laugh twitch across his face before it became serious. After that moment, Mr. Carter was much too scared to do any more to distract Ash. If he did, he might get hurt. And if he got hurt - especially because of him - his daughter would never forgive him. Even against him as she seemed to be. Heck, she probably wouldn't forgive the world.

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><p><em>Come. <em>The voice in Mary-Lynette's head was growing more pronounced. Though it had began at a near whisper, suggesting to her to do as it said. Now it was straight up demanding her to do things. The strangest thing though, was that she didn't mind. She found herself almost willingly complying to Dahlia's wishes. Mary-Lynette knew that there was some reason that she shouldn't listen to Dahlia. She seemed to recall herself being scared of her. But that was stupid. It was Ash who she should have been scared of! He had lied to her and left her for a year with barely any attempt at contacting her. He called her his soulmate. Ya right. He probably didn't even know the meaning of the word, stupid as he was. Looking over at the lying piece of scum, Mary-Lynette smiled maniacally. He looked utterly defeated. Perfect. It served him right.

Feeling a slight tug on her hand, Mary-Lynette looked over to where Dahlia stood._Come. _The voice was in her head again. Louder and more irritated sounding this time. Tugging on her hand yet again, Dahlia glared at Mary-Lynette. As Dahlia's gaze raked over her body, Mary-Lynette felt a pain wherever Dahlia looked at her. It wasn't a sharp pain like being slapped, but a slowly intensifying one. It built until she felt as though she had become a meteor entering Earth's atmosphere. She was burning up. Undergoing a violent combustion reaction. She felt her legs slowly give way as the strength in them was burned into nothingness. Mary-Lynette soon was lying on the ground cringing as the pain became too much to bear. Holding her head for fear that it would explode if she let go, she tried her hardest not to scream. If she screamed, Dahlia would be even more displeased. Through all the fire erupting within her body, Mary-Lynette could still sense that Dahlia didn't want to hurt her. She hadn't listened, so this was just discipline.

Looking up at Dahlia, Mary-Lynette noticed that she was focused entirely on disciplining her. So focused, in fact, that she didn't even seem to notice the dark shadow coming up behind her, looking as though it was about to strike. Just as she was about to try and warn her, Dahlia turned around to face the shadow. Feeling the pain subside slightly, Mary-Lynette quickly crawled away to observe from a safer distance.

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><p>Watching her daughter, Claudine was frightened. Oddly enough, she wasn't frightened for herself. No. She was frightened for the brown-haired girl cowering on the ground a ways away. She had watched the girl's range of expressions go from fear to betrayal to confidence to pain in only a few short minutes. Mr. Carter had pulled her off to the side when Mary-Lynette went to stand by the dark-haired lady. Claudine could easily see why. She knew at that moment that a fight was about to break out. Exactly why, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that she needed to help her daughter at whatever cost. Claudine tried to walk towards the teenager, but felt someone at her hand restraining her. Looking over to see what was keeping her from going and helping her daughter, she saw her husband. He gave her hand another tug and began walking backwards, dragging her with him. He looked scared. Almost as scared as Mary-Lynette. She had never seen her husband scared before. It made the sickening pit of fear and dread that resided in her stomach grow larger and intensify. Turning her attention towards the blonde boy standing before his mother, Claudine watched in horror as a fight began to unfold before her eyes.<p>

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><p><strong>AN: So if you all are reading still (sorry...) I hope this is enough to keep you interested until mid-December (my expected update time hopefully). If I can update any sooner I will, but I make no promises...  
>Very very sorry and I hope you all enjoyed the chapter despite it's shortness. Hopefully the next one will be longer...<br>Thanks again for still reading and please review! Perhaps it shall inspire me and help me to think of what I want to write next :D  
>Happy Writing! <strong>


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N:** **Okay, so the magical snow spirits have provided me with a snow day, which meant that I actually had time to add the finishing touches to this chapter :) Hope you all enjoy**

**Thanks to:  
>starr1095 - That's a very good point... Thankyou for pointing that out, and it's fixed now :)<br>ernesdo - I apologize for my being confusing. Sometimes I tend to just write down what pops into my head... Unfortunately it doesn't always make sense  
>NightLover432 - Sorry about that. I was trying to avoid having to write in specific points of view by focusing on specific characters between page breaks. I didn't mean to confuse you...<br>alissarhode: Thank you! She's not a vampire yet... That was just a dream because she passed out... Sorry about that... It would seem that my last chapter was very confusing... And no worries, more of that shall be coming :) **

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><p><strong>Chapter 26<strong>

Ash watched his mother carefully. She could strike at any minute. Thoughts were flying through his head like the yellow leaves that swirled around in a wind storm in fall. They were rapid and if you tried to follow their twists and turns they took as they flew by, you would make yourself dizzy. He could strike first, but then how would he feel if he killed her. It was out of self defines though, wasn't it? Ash tried to convince himself that it was - she had hurt his soulmate, and him by default. But something didn't seem right about that. He couldn't attack his very own mother, could he? Granted, she had hurt him pretty bad in the past few days, but she was still his mother. She had raised him (sort of) and cared for him. Frantically searching his brain for even the smallest reason not to attack his mother. However, his searching was rapidly put to an end as his decision was made for him.

Not even a twitch of movement gave Dahlia away, and Ash suddenly was on the ground. His mother was above him, eyes wild. Her teeth had extended as she jumped, and they were now long, pointed curves of white. She snapped her jaw together furiously in an attempt to bite him. Ash's instantly stiffened in shock. He twitched frantically to try to avoid his mother's teeth. She was a skilled huntress though, and it wouldn't take much time before she succeeded. He needed to think of something quickly. As he carefully evaded his mother's teeth and tried to think of how he could save both himself and Mary-Lynette, a piercing shriek echoed in the air around him. It wasn't Mary-Lynette though. Someone else must have seen the fight. Not letting himself be distracted, Ash heard a vehicle pull up as voices grew louder and frantic sounding at an alarming rate. Dahlia didn't allow herself to be distracted either. In fact, she fought harder against her son, movements getting quicker and her precision becoming more deadly - she was determined to kill him before someone intervened.

A slamming noise was heard and Ash heard his name shouted by three female voices - his sisters. His body automatically stiffened at the sound of his name being called, and in his split second of distraction, Dahlia struck. Ash closed his eyes and prayed it would be over quickly. He knew his chances of a quick death were slim - his mother felt betrayed and would want to torment him and kill him slowly as a result. Just as he felt the sting of teeth entering his flesh, the weight of Dahlia's body was removed. Confused, Ash opened his eyes to see his sisters grappling with their mother, pulling her away from him. Looking for a moment in shock, he slowly stood up and heard a scream behind him. Resisting the urge to look behind him, Ash hoped that the gathering Daybreakers would help his soulmate. Nevertheless, the pain in Mary-Lynette's scream still resounded within him. He felt hollow inside at the thought of not being able to help her himself. Touching the small wound on his neck gingerly with his fingers as he refocused on his mother, Ash saw that his sisters were beginning to struggle and that some of the Daybreakers were moving in to help.

"Stop!" he shouted, startling the advancing teenagers. "This is my fight!"

They simply looked at him like he had lost his mind. Maybe he had; he didn't care. He needed to finish what he had started. He needed to protect Mary-Lynette! If the others helped him, it wouldn't be the same. He would be weak. He had to do this on his own. Looking at his sisters, Ash spoke once more:

"Let her go. This is our fight, not yours."

"But Ash-" Jade protested.

"No buts." He replied sharply. "I'm doing this on my own."

Ash shot his sisters a soul-stripping glare as they tried to protest once more. Realizing that their brother was being serious, they slowly loosened their grip on their mother, backing away reluctantly into the crowd. As they released her, Dahlia looked towards her son, a crooked smile slowly growing on her face. Tilting her head to one side, she let out a small laugh.

"Tsk tsk. I thought I raised you better than that, son."

"You did. You raised me to know to protect the people I love."

"Why attack me then?"

"I think you know the answer to that _mother_."

Dahlia retained her amused expression, though her irritation at her son's last remark was evident. She and Ash were now pacing in a circle around one another, seemingly oblivious to their audience. Each fighter feinted every few seconds, trying to deceive their opponent and potentially open up a spot to attack.

Ash was trying his hardest to not allow his mother any opportunities to attack, but as he feinted to his right, he suddenly realized that he had been sloppy - his entire left side was open and unguarded. By the time he realized this, it was too late. Dahlia struck at him yet again. This time was different though. Ash knew she would show him no mercy - not that she had before. She was more determined to succeed after his lucky escape. However, Ash was equally as determined. He really didn't care if he died, but Mary-Lynette had to be saved. If he died, then she would too. Dahlia would kill her for her blood. The thought made Ash scream out with anger. Lashing towards his mother, he managed to turn the tables - quite literally - so that he was now above her. Had he possessed a weapon - or rather, had one on him - Ash was certain he would have been able to defeat his mother immediately. However, he didn't have anything except his teeth, and those would only do so much. He wouldn't be able to kill Dahlia with his teeth alone. As much as he tried to pretend otherwise, he wasn't quite as strong as his mother. His arrogant attitude made people believe he was someone to be reckoned with - someone who knew how to fight. In honesty, he simply knew how to fight dirty. That's all he had ever done. That was how he had survived. Now he would just have to do the same thing. The only difference was that this time he was fighting against his mother. Even though she had treated him poorly, she was still his mother, and so she still knew him. Not to mention that she could read his mind as well. He would have to concentrate on blocking it as well as watching for an opening to attack.

Desperately hoping his sister's would clue into his panic and find a stake or some wood despite his plea to be left alone to fight, Ash pinned his mother to the ground. Sitting on her and putting a hand at her neck, he successfully had Dahlia gasping for air. "How does it feel, mother?" he asked scornfully. "You have no one to save you and you can't kill me with the Daybreakers around. You're fighting a losing battle."

Dahlia made no attempt to reply, and at that moment, one of the Daybreakers stepped forward holding a sharpened piece of wood. Ash didn't see who it was, but he assumed it was Rashel, who always had stakes with her. Feeling no sense of remorse or pity for his mother and what he was about to do to her, Ash re-positioned himself so that he could put the stake through her heart, but as he did so, his grip on his mother's neck loosened slightly. Ash felt his mother's body convulse beneath him as she attempted to free herself, but her fighting before had tired her out. Because Ash had a stake in her hand, she was clearly wary of him. With all the people forming a giant ring around the two, Ash was certain she was scared to attack him in case they intervened.

He got a tighter grip on her neck once again, pushing her to the ground and holding her there. Adjusting his grip on the stake, Ash prepared to strike. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Rowan, Kestrel, and Jade watching from the front of the surrounding hoard. Mary-Lynette had stood up and was standing near the girls. She was watching him intently, worry etched into her face. It mirrored the expressions on his sister's faces. Thinking of Mary-Lynette, Ash felt a sudden burst of resolution. He was going to do it. He was going to kill Dahlia for Mary-Lynette. No other reasoning was clear in his head but that. He had to do it. With a yell, he drove the stake down in a sudden sharp movement that punctured his mother's chest and went straight through her heart.

As the blood seeped through her clothes, staining the ground below the body, Dahlia spoke:

"It was all because I loved you…"

And with those simple words, Dahlia Redfern departed for the spiritual world.

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><p><strong>AN: Hope you all enjoyed that, and please remember to review :) The more reviews I get, the happier and more motivated to write I become :D  
><strong>**Thanks for all being so supportive throughout my story, and I promise I'll try to keep it to a maximum of 30 chapters...**

**Happy Writing!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Phew! Finally got this chapter all written up! I'll try to keep this note short and to the point... Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the chapter!  
>Thanks to:<br>Italiancookie2: Thank you!  
>Night-Alice: Ya, it was unfortunate, but it had to be done. I really couldn't think of any other way to resolve things without it being waaaay to cheesy sounding. No, it's not quite over yet, and thank you so much! I'm glad you've enjoyed the story!<br>NightLover432: Ya, I'm sorry about that... School kind of consumes my life, and then I got involved in the musical, and so now I have absolutely no free time at all... I'll try to make time for more writing in the future though... Eventually such an explanation shall be made; I wrote the first half of this chapter so long ago now, that I don't quite remember if I did... Let me know if I didn't and I'll be sure to explain it in the next few chapters :) And ya, it unfortunately has to end... I can't keep on writing forever... However, I do have quite a number of ideas for some new fanfictions (including one Night World one focused around Keller and Galen).  
>starr1095: Thanks! Hopefully you enjoy this chapter! :D <strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 27<strong>

Looking down at his hands gripping the now-red wood of the stake - still protruding from Dahlia's body - Ash felt a sickening feeling in the depths of his stomach. He wanted to throw up. He wanted to bury himself in a deep hole where he could just hide from the world forever. He wanted to - He wanted - He didn't know what he wanted. He had thought he was doing the right thing. Then his mother had said that she loved him. Why did he kill her? She was his MOTHER for crying out loud! What kind of son kills his own mother? What kind of person was he? Suddenly it occurred to him - there had been some reason he had done this, hadn't there? With a start, Ash remembered Mary-Lynette. Searching the group of people standing silently around him, he spotted her standing by his sisters. Releasing the stake, Ash stood up and rushed over to where his soulmate stood, trying not to look at the body of his mother. Embracing the warm body of his soulmate, Ash held Mary-Lynette close to his body before pulling away to look at her face. She looked worried, though he couldn't sense why. Moving his hands from her shoulders, he embraced Mary-Lynette once again, this time holding her tightly and burying his face in her hair, just breathing in her scent. He would never be able to forgive himself for letting his mother hurt her as badly as she did.

Feeling the silver cord tense between them, Ash whispered into his soulmate's ear, "I'm so sorry. Forgive me?" This time it was Mary-Lynette's turn to pull away. "Forgive you? What's to forgive?" she asked quietly so that only he could hear. Still guilty feeling, Ash leaned down to bring his lips to Mary-Lynette's. Surrounded by the pink haze that was oh-so-familiar and welcome, Ash felt peaceful for the first time in days. However, as his mind joined with Mary-Lynette's, he could sense her repressing something; hiding it from him. That's when it hit him. He may have killed his mother, but his soulmate was still going to die. Feeling a tear escape his eye, Ash buried his face in Mary-Lynette's hair once more. He had to save her…. Then he realized something - Mary-Lynette probably wouldn't want to become a vampire anymore after all the things that had happened. After she had seen the darker side of the Night World. Trying his hardest to hide his thoughts from his soulmate, Ash pulled away, telling her that she should go talk to her parents - they were worried about her. Giving him a curious look, she slowly backed away from him. As she was embraced by her parents, Ash took the opportunity to quietly disappear.

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><p>As Mary-Lynette hugged her parents, her thoughts were a complete mess. She wasn't worried or upset about what had just happened with Dahlia; no, her worries were much closer to her heart. Ash had looked upset when he killed his mother - she didn't blame him - but he had still been hiding something from her. She was determined to find out what it was. After assuring her parents that she was alright and that everything was okay, Mary-Lynette turned to find her soulmate, but he had disappeared. Trying not to let her disappointment show, she allowed herself to be hugged by the Daybreakers, always telling them that she was okay, and that she would be fine. However, it seemed that she wasn't as good at hiding her emotions as she thought she was - as Hannah gave her a hug, she whispered in her ear, "Just give him some space… He needs time to deal. Don't worry, he'll be fine." Mary-Lynette nodded, slightly disappointed by this notion.<p>

"C'mon," Hannah said to her, gesturing towards the house. Mary-Lynette simply nodded and followed her numbly, vaguely aware that others were following them. As they entered the house, Mary-Lynette looked for Ash, but soon realized that if he wanted to be alone, he wouldn't go into the house. He would go somewhere quiet where there wasn't anyone else around. The only question that then remained was where that was. Trying to forget about Ash, Mary-Lynette half-listened to the conversations of the people surrounding her. They had somehow ended up in the living room and Mary-Lynette was squished in between her parents. Mark was sitting beside their mom, his arm around Jade's shoulders. Across from her sat Hannah and Thierry. The other Daybreakers were scattered around the room, all of them sitting beside their soulmates. Rowan and Kestrel were nowhere to be seen. They were likely grieving for their lost mother. They had known her longer than Jade, and Jade had her soulmate to comfort her - the girls only had one another.

The conversations amongst the room soon melded into a large conversation mainly focused around Jade, Mark, Mary-Lynette, Rowan and Kestrel (who had re-joined the group after only a short while). Everyone wanted to know all the details about what had led to the fight between Ash and Dahlia. They all knew that it had something to do with Ash and Mary-Lynette being soulmates, but the Daybreakers now wanted to know the full story. It was almost as if they couldn't believe that that was the only reason for her attacking them. Finally, Mary-Lynette couldn't take the questions anymore. They were eating away at her. With each question, she pined more for Ash. She wished he was there with her. She still wasn't entirely comfortable around the Daybreakers - especially not when they were bent on interrogating her!

"Okay," she finally said loudly. "You wanna know the real reason why Dahlia chased us all the way here? Well fine! I'll tell you! She found out we were soulmates and then realized that Ash was going to change me! So now, not only was her son in love with a human, but he was going to break yet another Night World law and change me into a vampire because I'm dying of heart disease! Happy now?"

Everyone looked on Mary-Lynette in shock. They hadn't expected her to be so angry or direct about her situation.

"Well, I'm going to bed, so good night!" she said sharply, leaving the room.

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><p>As she walked up to her room, Mary-Lynette felt her eyes filling up with tears as the anger left her body and was replaced with sorrow. By the time she got up to her room, the tears were flowing freely down her face. Not paying attention to her surroundings, Mary-Lynette walked over to the bed and laid face-down on the pillows, drowning in self-pity. Why had she done that? It wasn't like her problems were the business of anyone else. They had no right to know what was going on in her life. So why did she tell them? Mary-Lynette didn't know. As she felt the bed shift from pressure on the far edge, she looked up and saw her blonde-haired angel sitting with his back turned and his head down. Sitting up, Mary-Lynette crawled over to where Ash sat, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind, and resting her chin on his shoulder. Nuzzling her face into his neck, she breathed in his scent, glad that he was near her again.<p>

"I heard what you did back there." Ash said quietly. "I'm proud of you."

He turned around so he was facing Mary-Lynette and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her tight to his chest. After a few seconds of blissful silence, Mary-Lynette pulled away so she could see his face. Taking one hand from his shoulders, she stroked the side of his face, feeling the soft skin beneath her fingers.

"I'm proud of you too." she said finally.

Bringing his hands up, Ash placed them lightly on the sides of her face and brought her close enough so that their lips were almost touching.

"You shouldn't be." he said in a whisper before closing the gap between them. The pink haze surrounded them once more, filling in the empty spots in their heart; completing them. Thoughts were flowing freely between them now, and Mary-Lynette could feel Ash was upset about something.

_What's wrong Ash?_

_I-I-I just don't want to lose you!_

_You're not going to lose me; I'm right here._

_That's not what I meant! I-I'm worried that you won't want to become a vampire now that you've seen that side of the Night World._

_What are you talking about! Of course I still want to be a vampire! That is, if you still WANT me to be one…_

_Don't be silly! Of course I do!_

Mary-Lynette broke the kiss off to gaze into her soulmate's eyes. "Thank you." she said simply, before hugging herself close to his body.

"There's one thing though," Mary-Lynette started, still hugging Ash and speaking into his chest. "I don't want to be changed here. I want to be changed at home. Please?"

"Of course." Ash said. He had assumed that his little dreamer would request something like that. She didn't seem to feel comfortable at Thierry's mansion with the Daybreakers. Maybe when she was a vampire she would feel a bit better about being there, but for the time being, he was glad to go back to Briar Creek with her. The two teenagers moved towards the head of the bed, cuddling. Both still in their clothes, they fell into a deep sleep, just happy to have the other with them and their immediate worries resolved.

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><p>Mary-Lynette woke up the next morning with an excruciating headache accompanied by a sharp, now-familiar pain in her chest. Stretching slightly, her hand bumped up against another object. Opening her eyes a crack and rolling over she saw that Ash was beside her! Looking at her blonde soulmate, she gently ran her fingers along his cheek, not wanting to wake him, but not being able to resist. Ash's eyes stayed closed, but a small moan escaped him as Mary-Lynette's fingers ran down his cheek. Scared she had woken him, she pulled her hand back quickly. As his eyelids fluttered open, Mary-Lynette tried her best to pretend that she was asleep. Hoping that Ash wouldn't notice that she was awake, she squeezed her eyes tightly shut and laid as still as she could manage.<p>

Beside her, she could hear Ash yawn and felt the mattress move beneath her as he stretched and shifted his weight. Thinking that he was going to get out of bed, she breathed out a tiny sigh of relief.

"Morning little dreamer." a deep voice suddenly whispered in her ear, making her jump. Mary-Lynette flipped over onto her other side to see a smirking Ash. He was propped up on one elbow, his hair ruffled from sleep. He smiled down at her, his eyes crinkling slightly at the corners.

"Morning." Mary-Lynette replied, blushing slightly. She should have known that Ash would realize she wasn't asleep. He was her soulmate after all! He knew everything about her and trying to hide things - even things as simple as being awake - from him was a futile attempt. Ash simply laughed and kissed her forehead gently, seeing her embarrassment.

"So I'm thinking that we should probably head home today." He said quietly. "I know we've only been here two nights, but…." he trailed off into silence and Mary-Lynette slowly nodded. Despite only having been away from home for a short while, she missed her little town. The stress of the past few days was taking a toll on her, and she was exhausted.

Slowly crawling off the bed and standing up, Mary-Lynette felt light-headed. As the blackness enveloped her, she felt hands guiding her backwards onto the bed.

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><p>Claudine was ready to go home. She was ready to go home the instant she arrived at this mansion. She and her husband had almost managed to take their family home too until that woman had shown up. It was then that she realized that Ash and his sisters had not been lying about what they were - it was all very real, and out to kill her daughter! Despite the fear for her daughter's safety having mostly subsided, Claudine still felt uncomfortable in the large house of teens. She wanted to go back home as soon as possible, but she wanted Mary-Lynette to come with her. Worried that her daughter would want to stay in Vegas with Ash, Claudine decided that she would try her hardest to convince her otherwise. Finishing up her breakfast, she decided to go see how her daughter was doing. She had disappeared so quickly to her room the night before, and she was so upset. Something about the curiosity of the other kids had angered her to a point where even she was frightened of the normally calm girl.<p>

As she opened the door to the room, she saw the form of Mary-Lynette being slowly lowered to the bed by Ash. He looked up as she entered.

"Go find Lord Thierry." He spoke rapidly; worry in his eyes. When she hesitated, he spoke again. "Go! Hurry!" His voice was louder and more agitated that time. It worried her, and she obediently turned on her heel and left the room in search of the teen.

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><p><strong>So, I hope that wasn't too long. I didn't want to break it up into separate chapters, and it seemed really long before I uploaded it onto fanfiction (in this format it looks slightly shorter, but not by much). <strong>

**As always, I love to hear your thoughts - both praise and criticism - so make sure to review and let me know you're still there please. :)**

**Happy Writing!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Mark woke up to see Jade's sad green eyes peering into his as though they could see straight through to his soul.

"Oh. You're awake." she murmured innocently as though she was trying to hide the fact that she had been sitting and watching him sleep for some time now, just hoping that he would wake up.

"Morning beautiful." he said quietly. His voice was husky from just having woken up, and Jade blushed slightly. Though she had known Mark for just about a year, she still had a hard time believe he was her soulmate. She loved his laugh, and the way he made her smile, and everything about him. More importantly, he was always there when she needed him most.

Seeing the sadness in his soulmate's eyes, Mark sat up and pulled the blonde girl into a tight hug. She had been up late the night before crying over her mother, and though she was not crying now, he could see that she could start again at any moment.

"C'mon" he said, pulling away and getting up to change out of his pyjamas. "Let's go get some breakfast."

The two teens eventually made their way slowly down the grande staircase towards the kitchen. The aroma of fresh food drifted towards them, and they began walking faster towards the smell. When they reached the source of the smell, they were greeted by the smiling faces of Gillian, David, Keller, and Galen. They were frying up eggs, and Mark nearly started drooling at the sight of them. Seeing this, David cracked another egg into the pan for the young boy.

"So are you guys sticking around for a while?" David asked the two.

"Ummm" Mark faltered, looking at Jade. She simply shrugged her shoulders unenthusiastically.

"Not sure, then?" David looked sympathetically at the two teens.

"Well, I don't think we have much of a choice in the matter. Once my parents and sister decide that it's time to leave, then I suppose we'll leave."

David simply nodded, sliding the now-finished egg onto a plate and handed it to Mark.

"Well I figure I speak for everyone when I say that you guys are welcome here for however long you decide to stay."

At such an invitation, even Jade smiled in her grief. The occupants of the kitchen smiled at the sight of Jade smiling. They hadn't expected to see any of the Redferns smile for the remainder of their stay at the mansion.

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><p>Running down the halls, Claudine and her husband tried in vain to keep up to Lord Thierry - vampires could move fast when they needed to! When they finally burst through the door of Ash and Mary-Lynette's room, they found their daughter lying on the bed with Thierry leaning over her. Ash was perched on the bed beside her, gripping her hand tightly within his. The two adults rushed over to the end of the bed.<p>

"What's happening?" they both demanded anxiously.

"Well I'm no doctor, but"

"But what?"

"If you'll just allow me to explain without interrupting, I'll tell you." Thierry managed to remain calm despite the agitation that was emanating from the Carters and Ash.

"As I was saying, I'm no doctor, but I believe that her condition is worse than it was before. Ash, you're going to have to change her soon or her body will not be able to handle the change and she won't survive it."

His mouth set in a grim line, Ash nodded gravely. He looked over at the Carters, who looked equally as grave. The thought of losing their only daughter - either due to death or becoming a vampire - did not sit well with them for obvious reasons.

"Well, I suppose that means we'll have to leave then…" Ash mumbled quietly.

"What do you mean?" demanded Mr. Carter. "Can't you just change her here? I don't want my Mare to die!"

"I can't do that…" Ash began quietly, his voice fading into silence. "I promised Mary-Lynette that I would wait until we got home before I changed her. I'm not about to go back on a promise I made her."

"Bu-" Mr. Carter started to protest, but the look Ash gave him made him stop mid-word.

"I'll be sorry to see you leave so soon Ash, but I know it's for the best." Thierry said. "but I know it's for the best. Please just know that you are always welcome here. I hope to see you again soon, and hopefully under better circumstances."

"Definitely." Ash said nodding, though it was clear that his mind was elsewhere.

"I'll go find Mark and Jade and inform the rest of the house that you are leaving."

"Please don't." Ash begged. "I really would rather not make a scene, especially after last night. Please allow us to just disappear silently?"

"Of course. I will ask Mark and Jade to do the same then."

"Thank you Thierry. For everything."

Looking into the teenager's eyes, Claudine knew that Ash truly meant what he said. She noticed that his eyes were a pale yellow. Within them, she could see his deep worry reflected. At that moment, she realized how deeply Ash truly felt for Mary-Lynette. It was also at that moment that she felt herself truly trusting the cat-like boy. She knew he only wanted what was best for her step-daughter, and for that, she respected him.

"C'mon honey. Let's get ready to go home." she told her husband quietly, tugging him gently from the foot of the bed, leaving Ash alone with his soulmate.

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><p>Ash couldn't bear to leave Mary-Lynette's side to repack the few things he had removed from his suitcase, but he knew it had to be done. The sooner he was ready to leave, the sooner they would be back to Briar Creek, and the sooner he could finish changing Mary-Lynette into a vampire. Placing his bag by the door, Ash returned to his soulmate's side. He wanted to wake her before leaving, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't manage to do it. She was too far gone into the blackness within her mind. Not wanting to leave her alone, Ash slung his bag over his shoulder and lifted up Mary-Lynette into his arms. Praying that the Daybreakers were still sleeping or busy elsewhere, he descended the staircase and made his way towards the door. However, he did not succeed in making it out of the building unnoticed.<p>

"Ash! There you are! C'mon! Lord Thierry called a meeting in the dining room!" Poppy's loud voice echoed throughout the empty space as Ash's hopes of leaving quietly were erased.

"Okay Poppy. You go ahead and I'll meet you there, okay?" he prayed that she wouldn't look too closely at him and that she would do as he asked.

"Um, sure?" she said, not sure why her soulmate's cousin wouldn't be going straight to a meeting called by the head of the organization.

At that moment, Hannah walked into the room as well. Ash sighed. He would never be able to leave in peace!

"Poppy! Everyone is waiting on you! Hurry up!"

As Ash heard Poppy's footsteps leave the room, he slowly turned to face Hannah, worried about what she would say.

"Ash?" he cringed as she said his name.

"Yes?"

"Get Mary-Lynette back home and change her as fast as you can."

Hannah moved closer to him, gazing into his eyes. Her eyes were filled with compassion and worry.

"Please keep me informed of her progress if it isn't too much to ask." she pleaded, moving a piece of hair off Mary-Lynette's face.

"Of course." Ash managed to choke out. He was touched by Hannah's kindness. He knew he didn't deserve it - he had only come there to keep Mary-Lynette safe, and put the entire household in danger. She had no obligation to feel sorry for him, and yet, she did. Ash almost couldn't bear it. He had to get out of her sight - the pity in her eyes nearly choked him.

Excusing himself, Ash dashed out the door and to the waiting SUV. Mr. Carter was in the driver's seat and the engine was running. Ash didn't notice that he was being followed until he had set Mary-Lynette down within the vehicle. He turned around at the sound of a voice wishing him all the luck in the world and found that Hannah had followed him outside. She insisted on giving him a quick hug goodbye, saying that it was for luck. Once released, Ash climbed into the SUV and shut the door. Mr. Carter instantly began driving away from the mansion , leaving only Hannah standing out front waving goodbye.

The hug had surprised Ash immensely. He knew he had never been Hannah's favourite - he was certain that she had despised him in the past for leaving Mary-Lynette alone in Briar Creek for so long. The only possible solution he could think of was that her opinion of him had somehow changed. Assuming it had something to do with having brought Mary-Lynette to the mansion, he dismissed his other ideas of her pitying him for having to kill his own mother. Pleased that his little dreamer had made such an impression upon the Daybreakers, he refocussed his attention on her in an attempt to wake up his soulmate.

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><p>Ash was in agony for the entirety of the ride back to Briar Creek. Mary-Lynette woke up after a few hours, but she was obviously in pain. No matter how hard she tried to hide it, Ash could still feel it. He was certain that her parents could tell too, judging by their whispers in the front of the car. Only once Mary-Lynette fell asleep did he allow himself to sleep. After what felt like only a few short seconds, Ash felt a hand on his arm, gently shaking him awake. Opening his eyes just enough to see, he saw Claudine standing within the open car door looking at him.<p>

"We back already?" he mumbled.

"Yes. Your sisters are in a car behind us waiting to drive you home so you can get some sleep."

"What about Mary-Lynette?"

"We'll get her inside; don't worry. Just go home and rest."

Ash mumbled a confirmation and slowly crawled out of the SUV. As he stepped out, he felt a rush of cool, nighttime air that woke him up enough that he walked to his sisters' car without incident and climbed into the back seat. Resting his head on the window, he closed his eyes briefly. He had stayed up for most of the first night of travelling, watching over Mary-Lynette. After that, he had slept fitfully until Mr. Carter requested that he drive. Complying with his requests, Ash drove until they reached a small gas station. Stopping to fill the tank with gas, Ash darted into the surrounding woods to hunt quickly before returning to the driver's seat. Mr. Carter eventually took over driving once again, and Ash returned to his soulmate. She was dead asleep, but seemed to sense his presence nonetheless and moved so that she was curled up against him. Kissing her forehead softly, Ash laid his head gently on top of hers and fell into a deep slumber.

Now that he was back at his own home, however, Ash was finding it difficult to sleep. Having walked sluggishly up the stairs to his room, he collapsed on the bed thinking that he would be asleep quickly. Closing his eyes, he could only think about Mary-Lynette and worry about her. He knew she would still be there in the morning, but whether or not she would survive the change into a vampire remained a mystery. After what felt like years, Ash finally drifted off to a sleep plagued by nightmares of his beloved soulmate dying from various causes - her heart, his sisters, his mother, Circle Daybreak, and not being strong enough to survive the change.

However, the worst nightmares were the ones where he was the one to kill his little dreamer

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><p><strong>AN: Hello my most wonderful readers! I apologize once again for taking so long to update! My school's musical consumed my life for these past few months and I have been trying to think of how I want to continue this story/finish it up within the next few chapters.  
><strong>**Incidentally, I've also decided that from this point forwards, I will respond to reviews via PM and leave authors notes at the bottom of the last few chapters since it makes it easier for people who don't read them to skip over them.  
><strong>**Anyhow, I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter! Feel free to review and let me know what you think! It motivates me to write faster when I get an email telling me that someone has reviewed my story!  
><strong>

**Happy Writing!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Through the sliver she made with her now-open eyes, light filtered in. It wasn't the harsh artificial light of a hospital, morgue, or even the yellow light of her room. Mary-Lynette found herself in her room with light filtering in through the half-open window. It was very soft, and she assumed it was still very early in the morning. However, she found herself unable to get back to sleep. As she stood up and looked out her window, the familiar pain in her chest returned. With a gasp, she slid to the floor, keeping her back against the wall for support. She know how long she sat against the wall, gasping for air, before she heard a knock at the door. When she tried to tell the person to come in, Mary-Lynette found herself barely able to speak.

"Come in!" she managed to choke out.

The door creaked open, and she watched as her blonde-headed angel peered through the door. Not seeing her in her bed, he looked around the room and saw her leaning against the wall.

_Mary-Lynette!_

_Ash? What are you doing here?_

_I came to see you - I couldn't wait anymore. We have to change you soon!_

_I know. I'm scared though. You'll be here the whole time, right?_

_Of course! And your family too!_

Ash wrapped Mary-Lynette in him arms, trying to show her precisely how much he cared for her and wanted to protect her.

"I'll go get your family." he said aloud after a few moments.

As Ash left the room, Mary-Lynette slowly tried to crawl over to her bed. After a few painful minutes, she was seated on the mess of blankets. Voices drifted in from the hall as the door opened wide, revealing a worried-looking Carter family. They instantly crowded around her bed, fearful of what was to come. Mary-Lynette could sense Ash's presence just beyond the door, understanding that he wanted to give her a few minutes with her family.

"I'm not dying yet" she joked feebly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Mare, that wasn't really funny," Mark began quietly. "But can you promise me something?"

"I can try."

"Kay, well can you just promise me that you won't let this change you too much? Just make sure you're still yourself after all of this. And that you'll still come visit us."

"Oh Mark! Of course!" Mary-Lynette saw that her brother was close to tears with the stress of her situation and reached out to hug him tightly.

Claudine was next:

"Sweetie," she said, holding Mary-Lynette's hand gently. "Please just promise me that you and Ash will look out for each other. And come visit us whenever you can."

Letting go of her hand, Claudine embraced her frail-looking daughter before going to stand beside Mark by the foot of the bed. Finally, Mr. Carter stepped forward and looked at his daughter. The sadness in his eyes brought Mary-Lynette to tears. She held out her arms and he complied, wrapping her in a hug.

"Dad," she began quietly, trying to choke back tears. "I love you so much! I always have and I always will! Please don't ever forget about me…"

"Mary-Lynette, do you think that I would ever be able to forget about you? You and your brother are the best things that have ever happened to me. I promise to keep in touch, so long as you swear to do the same."

"Anything!" Mary-Lynette exclaimed, pulling her Dad closer as Ash reappeared in the doorway.

"I hate to interrupt, but I'd rather do this sooner than later if that's okay with you…" Ash said.

Mr. Carter pulled back from hugging his daughter, saying "Of course!"

Moving back to allow the teen to move alongside the bed, he allowed his hand to brush his daughter's cheek one last time while she was still human. As Ash reached the bed, he sat down on the edge before giving Mr. Carter a look that clearly asked, "May I?" Mr. Carter nodded, and Ash slid onto the bed fully so he was seated beside Mary-Lynette with his back against the headboard. Turning around so he was facing his soulmate and so that he was not being supported by the headboard, Ash looked deeply into her brown eyes.

"Are you ready for this?" he questioned.

Mary-Lynette just nodded slowly. As confident as the action appeared, Ash knew that inside, she was just as scared as he was - perhaps even mores. Despite his qualms about changing her, he had no other choice. It was this or death. Tucking a stray tuft of hair behind her ear, he leaned in and slowly kissed her forehead, her nose, her lips, and finally her neck. Then, in the spot where his lips had been only a second before, he sunk his teeth into the soft flesh, feeling the soft material give way to the points of his teeth and permitting him access to the sweet blood running below. As soon as he felt the blood running down his throat, Ash felt a spark of familiarity and peace - he was doing the right thing by saving Mary-Lynnette, no matter what anyone else thought.

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><p>Their minds connected, making them one - fire and ice together again at last.<p>

_I hate to break it to you, but this will probably be the last time we'll be together like this…_

Ash's voice resonated in her mind, causing Mary-Lynette to panic at his words.

_Before you freak out, let me explain: Vampires don't share blood so I only mean that we won't be as close to being one as we are now. Vampire telepathy is an improvement upon yours though, so we'll be able to come close._

Mary-Lynette smiled at how well her golden-haired soulmate knew her. Despite the fact that her death was a very real possibility and her family's watching eyes, she couldn't keep the smile off her face as her hand absentmindedly fiddled with Ash's hair. All too soon, she felt Ash pulling away. Barely resisting the urge to moan and hold him closer to her, encouraging him to keep drinking, Mary-Lynette relinquished her hold on him.

"Your turn now" he said, his voice rough.

Not knowing what to say and feeling indescribably frightened, Mary-Lynette simply nodded. Ash drew his nail along the base of his neck, a red line following his finger. Making sure she didn't look up at her watching family for fear that she would be overwhelmed her fear, she leaned forward so her lips rested on Ash's neck and started drinking that blood that still seemed to taste as old as the stars.

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><p>As Mary-Lynette drank from her soulmate, she found herself becoming more and more tired. Ash eventually pulled her head away from his neck, laying her down on the bed.<p>

_Sleep now. Do not wake up until I tell you to, okay? I love you._

Ash's voice resonated throughout her mind and in her ears, reassuring her and keeping her calm. Feeling a slight pressure on her forehead, Mary-Lynette drifted off to sleep.

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><p>The Carters watched as Mary-Lynette was lowered to the pillows by Ash, who placed a kiss on her forehead after speaking to her in a low yet clear voice. After a moment, he turned towards them with a grave look on his face.<p>

"Mary-Lynette will sleep for a few days while she changes, but she might look like she's dead."

Mr. Carter simply nodded while the remainder of the family looked too shocked to speak. They simply watched in horror as Mary-Lynette's skin turned pale and the movement of her chest ceased. Wanting to break the silence that was falling upon the group, Ash finally spoke.

"I'm going to take her to my sisters' house until she completes the change. We will hopefully come by once she has adjusted to being a vampire…"

He trailed off into silence as the gazes of his soulmate's family fell to the floor. He had just killed their daughter. Even though they gave him permission to do so, they must have thought him a monster. Thinking about it, he _was_ a monster. He had just condemned his soulmate, the one girl who he had sworn to protect with his life, to an eternity of being a monster too. Unable to stand the gazes of the Carter family any longer, Ash gathered Mary-Lynette into his arms and carried the relatively short distance to the farmhouse, placing her on his bed, praying that she would forgive him for essentially stealing her life from her. Regardless of the fact that she agreed to be a vampy, Ash was still worried that she had felt obligated to become one, and that she wouldn't have made the decision if it weren't for her heart.

Shaking himself suddenly, Ash realized that he was overreacting - his Mare had chosen to become a vampire because she wanted to live. She didn't see it as a death, but rather as a new chance at living. Reminding himself that she would have been dead - but for real - had she chosen differently, he pulled a chair up to the side of the bed, taking Mary-Lynette's hand.

_Goddess, let her make it through this_, he thought as he watched the pale form of his beloved, prepared to stay by her side until the change was complete.

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><p><strong>AN: I don't like this chapter. I really don't like this chapter. However, due to high school and my first year of university I haven't exactly been amazing at updating... I'm pretty sure I started this chapter waaaaay back in grade 11 after I last updated. Oops... Regardless, I decided that I should update now and at least get something up online and then hopefully I'll feel more motivated to write the final chapter? I mean, I've got a couple ideas floating around, so hopefully I'll be able to pull them all together before the end of summer? If you're still reading this, I am flattered and rather impressed.  
>Thank you for sticking with me and not giving up on this story!<br>It feels good to be back to writing and not just lurking! **


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